Adults perceive speech sounds
A) continuously.
B) categorically, when the sounds come from their native language, and continuously, when the sounds do not come from their native language.
C) categorically, perceiving all phonemic categories used in human language.
D) categorically, perceiving only phonemic contrasts used in their native language.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Adults perceive speech sounds categorically, but they only perceive phonemic contrasts used in their native language. This phenomenon is known as categorical perception, and it reflects the way the brain processes and organizes speech sounds into distinct units that carry meaning. When we hear speech sounds that do not exist in our native language, we may perceive them more continuously, as we do not have established categories for them. However, we still perceive phonemic contrast where possible, regardless of whether the sounds are native or non-native.

Adults Perceive Speech Sounds