PRODUCTION AND PERCEPTION OF WORD PROSODY IN THREE DIALECTS OF KOREAN

This paper examines the relationship between production and perception of prosodically marked lexical contrast, comparing 16 native speakers from three dialects of Korean known to exhibit variation in the use of prosodic features for lexical marking. A set of synthesized stimuli was constructed, where both F0 contour and syllable duration were manipulated. South Kyungsang speakers have F0 distinction in production and are sensitive to F0 variations in perception. Cholla speakers are sensitive to F0 in the opposite direction to Kyungsang speakers, suggesting that their 'interpretation ' of the F0 is the critical factor of perceptual judgment. Some of the Seoul speakers show a duration contrast and are sensitive only to duration change. The results reveal general though incomplete correlation between production and perception of word prosody, suggestive of the different typological status of the three dialects