Longer Words, Easier-to-pronounce Phonems : A Pilot Study
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216224%3A14210%2F25%3A00142355" target="_blank" >RIV/00216224:14210/25:00142355 - isvavai.cz</a>
Result on the web
<a href="https://www.juls.savba.sk/ediela/jc/2025/1/jc25-01.pdf" target="_blank" >https://www.juls.savba.sk/ediela/jc/2025/1/jc25-01.pdf</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/jazcas-2025-0032" target="_blank" >10.2478/jazcas-2025-0032</a>
Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Longer Words, Easier-to-pronounce Phonems : A Pilot Study
Original language description
The study investigates the relationship between word length and phoneme sonority in six languages across diverse language families. Building on the principle of least effort and the Menzerath-Altmann law, the research analyzes phoneme sonority using translated New Testament texts in Bilua, Bola, Czech, Gagauz, Jamamadi, and Tongan. The findings reveal that in languages with complex syllables, the tendency of longer words to contain shorter syllables—consistent with the Menzerath-Altmann law—results in a higher proportion of vowels, thereby increasing the mean phoneme sonority. In contrast, languages with simple syllable structures exhibit either a decrease in mean phoneme sonority or no clear trend. Further, mean consonant sonority increases with word length in Bilua, Czech, and Gagauz, while no clear trend is observed in Bola, Jamamadi, and Tongan. Conversely, mean vowel sonority increases with word length in Bola, Jamamadi, and Tongan, but remains stable or decreases in Bilua, Czech, and Gagauz. Overall, the analysis reveals consistent patterns linking word length and sonority across all six languages.
Czech name
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Czech description
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Classification
Type
J<sub>SC</sub> - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the SCOPUS database
CEP classification
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OECD FORD branch
60203 - Linguistics
Result continuities
Project
<a href="/en/project/EH23_025%2F0008726" target="_blank" >EH23_025/0008726: A lifetime with language: the nature and ontogeny of linguistic communication (LangInLife)</a><br>
Continuities
P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)
Others
Publication year
2025
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data specific for result type
Name of the periodical
JAZYKOVEDNÝ ČASOPIS
ISSN
0021-5597
e-ISSN
1338-4287
Volume of the periodical
76
Issue of the periodical within the volume
1
Country of publishing house
SK - SLOVAKIA
Number of pages
11
Pages from-to
355-365
UT code for WoS article
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EID of the result in the Scopus database
2-s2.0-105024780674