Oral reading in a transparent writing system: implications for models of oral reading.

There is a strong body of research indicating word frequency in naming English (e.g. Humphreys & Evett, 1985) and scripts other than English when all items to be named are known words (see Baluch & Besner 1991); thus suggesting that the lexical route is the dominant and preferred route for naming in all scripts. However, research has also shown that when nonwords are added to the list of words to be named, the word frequency effect is reduced or eliminated for readers of English (Monsell, Patterson, Graham, Hughes & Milroy, 1992); and scripts such as Persian (Baluch & Besner, 1991); Italian (Tabossi & Laghi, 1992); and Turkish (Raman et al, 1996). One explanation offered is that the presence of nonwords has encouraged a shift in naming strategies and a greater use of the nonlexical route