영어 어말 비개방 폐쇄음의 통계적 분석

Abstract

In this paper I will investigate a general concept of rule optionality using real speech database and suggest that it is possible to obligatorily apply an optional rule to a certain phonological environment, which means the application of an optional rule is not consistently optional. This result is supported by statistical analyses and tests, which provide scientific grounds for optionality of the rule under investigation. Furthermore, the tests imply that the optional rule can possibly be motivated phonetically and there is some degree in terms of optionality. Mainly, I examine the optional rule, which unreleases English stops in word-final position and between word boundary. Some of the result that draw out attention is that voiceless bilabial and velar stops are released in sentence final position and the stop unreleasing rule can be selectively optional, when it has to be applied and vice versa.