ACOUSTIC CORRELATES OF EMPHASIS AMONG JORDANIAN ARABIC-SPEAKING CHILDREN

This study explores segmental emphasis in Ajlouni Jordanian Arabic. It addresses the lack of research on children’s production of emphatic segments. Twenty schoolchildren read 48 minimal pairs thrice, with 96 tokens analyzed per child. The study used F1, F2, and F3 at vowel onset, middle, and offset, confirming that emphasis is marked by higher F1 and lower F2. Emphasis interacts with target consonant position (PTC), vowel quality, and length. Emphasis is influenced by the segment's proximity to vowels. Emphasis affects the low vowel /a/ with significant F2 lowering; back vowels show less F2 lowering. Short vowels exhibit more pronounced emphasis than long ones, visible in F1 and F2 changes. Other interactions support these findings: front vowels have more effect on F2 onset, and short vowels consistently have a greater F2 effect at offset than long vowels, particularly for PTC by vowel length interaction, highlighting greater acoustic prominence for short vowels.