Psycholinguistics: Speech Errors 1.1
In this exercise, you will practice recognizing various speech errors (SE). Just a few comments before you begin.
SEs occur within specific levels of language processing. Some are discrete (occur at one level, e.g. phonological), some are blended (involve errors at more than one level, e.g., phonological and semantic).
SEs also occur in various domains, such as word internal, across syllable/word boundaries, and at the phrasal level.
For each example in this exercise, select the term that best describes the SE.
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Question 1 |
Feed the dog → Deed the fog
A | Metathesis Hint: This is metathesis because the two initial sound segments of feed and dog replace each other. |
B | Anticipation Hint: Anticipation is an error in which a sound segment in a word later in the utterance is used in an earlier word in the utterance. |
C | Perseverance Hint: Perseverance is an error where a sound segment in a word early in the utterance lingers and is used in a later word in the utterance. |
Question 2 |
Walk the beach → Balk the weach
A | Transposition Hint: Transposition is an error in which a sound segment is moved from one part of an utterance to another. |
B | Metathesis Hint: The initial sound segments of walk and beach replace each other in this example. |
C | Anticipation Hint: Anticipation is an error in which a sound segment in a word later in the utterance is used in an earlier word in the utterance.
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Question 3 |
thick and musky → thusky
A | Blending Hint: This example shows blending of the two adjectives. The two words are phonologically blending. |
B | Anticipation Hint: Anticipation is an error in which a sound segment in a word later in the utterance is used in an earlier word in the utterance. |
C | Omission Hint: Omission is an error in which a sound segment is omitted from the utterance. |
Question 4 |
Keep a tape → Teep a cape
A | Metathesis Hint: In this example the initial sounds of ‘keep’ and ‘tape’ are exchanged one for another. |
B | Transposition Hint: Transposition is an error in which a sound segment is moved from one part of an utterance to another. |
C | Blending Hint: In examples of blending two words are combined to form a single word. |
Question 5 |
He had an upset stomach/tummy → He had an upset stummy.
A | Transposition Hint: Transposition is an error in which a sound segment is moved from one part of an utterance to another. |
B | Perseverance Hint: Perseverance is an error where a sound segment in a word early in the utterance lingers and is used in a later word in the utterance.
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C | Blending Hint: This example shows blending of the two semantically related words stomach/tummy. The two words are phonologically blending. |
Question 6 |
Shout + yell → Shell
A | Omission Hint: Omission is an error in which a sound segment is deleted from the utterance. |
B | Transposition Hint: Transposition is an error in which a sound segment is moved from one part of an utterance to another. |
C | Blending Hint: This example shows blending of the two semantically related words shout/yell. The two words are phonologically blending. |
Question 7 |
Forgotten about → Forgot aboutten
A | Anticipation Hint: Anticipation is an error in which a sound segment in a word later in the utterance is used in an earlier word in the utterance. |
B | Metathesis Hint: Metathesis is an error in which two sound segments replace each other. |
C | Transposition Hint: This is transposition because the sound segment, the morpheme -ten, is moved from the end of the word ‘forgot’ to the end of the word ‘about’. |
Question 8 |
Rule of thumb → Rule of rum.
A | Omission Hint: Omission is an error in which a sound segment is omitted from the utterance. |
B | Perseverance Hint: The initial sound /r/ of rule is used again later in the utterance where thumb → rum. |
C | Anticipation Hint: Anticipation is an error in which a sound segment in a word later in the utterance is used in an earlier word in the utterance. |
Question 9 |
Pat put the pot on the table. → Pat put the pot on the pable.
A | Perseverance Hint: This is perseverance because the initial sound /p/ from pat, put, and pot remains in the mind of the speaker and is used in the later word table. |
B | Metathesis Hint: Metathesis is an error in which two sound segments replace each other. |
C | Anticipation Hint: Anticipation is an error in which a sound segment in a word later in the utterance is used in an earlier word in the utterance. |
Question 10 |
Slippery crags → Crippery Slags
A | Metathesis Hint: Metathesis is an error in which two sound segments replace each other. In this example, the initial clusters of the two words are swapped. |
B | Omission Hint: Omission is an error in which a sound segment is omitted from the utterance. |
C | Transposition Hint: Transposition is an error in which a sound segment is moved from one part of an utterance to another. In this example more than one sound segment has been moved. |
Question 11 |
Take my bike → Bake my bike
A | Anticipation Hint: This is anticipation because the initial sound of the final word ‘bike’ influences the earlier word in the utterance ‘take’. |
B | Transposition Hint: Transposition is an error in which a sound segment is moved from one part of an utterance to another. |
C | Perseverance Hint: Perseverance is an error where a sound segment in a word early in the utterance lingers and is used in a later word in the utterance. |
Question 12 |
On the computer → On the comuter
A | Perseverance Hint: Perseverance is an error where a sound segment in a word early in the utterance lingers and is used in a later word in the utterance. |
B | Transposition Hint: Transposition is an error in which a sound segment is moved from one part of an utterance to another. |
C | Omission Hint: In this example, the sound segment /p/ has been omitted from computer. |
Question 13 |
Reagan campaign → Ceagan campaign
A | Perseverance Hint: Perseverance is an error where a sound segment in a word early in the utterance lingers and is used in a later word in the utterance. |
B | Omission Hint: Omission is an error in which a sound segment is deleted from the utterance. |
C | Anticipation Hint: This is anticipation because the initial sound /k/ of the second syllable of the word campaign influences the initial sound of the initial syllable. |
Question 14 |
Nick of time → Nick of nime
A | Metathesis Hint: Metathesis is an error in which two sound segments replace each other. |
B | Perseverance Hint: This is perseverance because the initial sound of the earlier word ‘nick’ influences the initial sound of the later word ‘time’. |
C | Transposition Hint: Transposition is an error in which a sound segment is moved from one part of an utterance to another. |
Question 15 |
Tremendously → Tremenly
A | Transposition Hint: Transposition is an error in which a sound segment is moved from one part of an utterance to another. |
B | Anticipation Hint: Anticipation is an error in which a sound segment in a word later in the utterance is used in an earlier word in the utterance. |
C | Omission Hint: In this example the third syllable has been omitted from the word. |
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