Which group of people cannot distinguish between the sounds of "la" and "ra?"
A)Japanese adults only
B)Japanese infants and Japanese adults
C)Japanese infants only
D)Japanese infants,American infants,and Japanese adults

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Japanese adults who have not been exposed to languages distinguishing between "la" and "ra" sounds from an early age often have difficulty distinguishing between these sounds. This is because the phonetic distinction is not present in the Japanese language, and adults who have not learned to differentiate these sounds early in life typically do not develop this ability later. In contrast, infants, regardless of nationality, have the potential to distinguish between different phonetic sounds, but this ability can diminish over time if the sounds are not relevant to their native language.

Which Group of People Cannot Distinguish Between the Sounds of "La