Articulation of Igbo vowel sounds by Tongue-tied children: An experimental analysis using PRAAT

Abstract

It is widely accepted that every typically developing child will acquire the language(s) to which they are exposed, often effortlessly, as posited in Chomsky’s (1963) Language Acquisition Device (LAD) theory. However, certain speech impairments, sometimes subtle and difficult to detect, can hinder effective language acquisition. One such impairment is tongue-tie, a condition that can significantly affect speech production. This study focuses on the phonetic consequences of tongue-tie in the articulation of Igbo vowels by Igbo-speaking children. The research undertakes an experimental phonetic analysis to examine the ease or difficulty experienced by children with tongue-tie during vowel articulation. Data were purposively collected from five Igbo children aged between eight and sixteen through structured observations and oral interviews, using sound articulation tasks. The participants were asked to pronounce words containing Igbo vowels positioned at word-initial, wordmedial, and word-final locations. The recorded data were analyzed using the Praat software. Findings from the study reveal that back vowels pose the greatest articulation challenges for Igbo children with tongue-tie. These results highlight the need for early detection and intervention to support affected children in achieving clearer and more accurate speech.