The Contribution of Phonetic Context to an Unusual Phonological Pattern

Abstract

This paper presents a case study of a phonologically disordered child whose speech showed certain unusual characteristics. The child's intelligibility seemed particularly hindered by his use of both metathesis and a sound preference. These characteristics operated singly and in combination. In addition, the child's use of a preferred sound was promoted by other sounds in the words. Together, these findings indicate the importance of considering contextual effects when examining for systematicity, and suggest the value of using contextual information during phonological treatment.