When pa and ba differ continuously in voice onset time, we hear an abrupt transition; this is called
A)phonemic restoration
B)verbal transformation
C)categorical perception
D)conversation implicature

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Categorical perception refers to the phenomenon where subtle changes in speech sounds are perceived as distinct categories. In the case of voice onset time (VOT), there is a categorical boundary between sounds like "pa" and "ba" where a small difference in VOT can lead to a perceptual shift from one sound to the other. This results in an abrupt transition in the perception of the speech sounds.

When Pa and Ba Differ Continuously in Voice Onset Time