Publication at Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Faculty of Education |
2008
Abstract
The study investigates changes in the voicing of obstruents in the speech of five Czech students of English, who have been unanimously rated by both native and experienced Czech speakers to have a strong Czech accent. First of all, a typology of voicing changes is proposed.
Second, the phenomenon termed ?inter-sonorant voicing? is investigated (e.g., the pronunciation of [z] in the word disappear). Inter-sonorant devoicing has been identified in one half of the potential cases; it seems to be conditioned by the presence or absence of a Czech equivalent of the word, rather than by segmental context.