Native English speakers learning German as a second language: Devoicing of final voiced stop targets

In contrast to German and other languages that devoice underlying word-final, voiced obstruent targets, English maintains a surface contrast between voiced and voiceless obstruents. The present study investigated the issue of what occurs when native speakers of American English, in an early stage of learning German as a second language (L2), produce word-final voiced and voiceless stop consonant targets in German versus English. The fact that the underlying voicing contrast in German is reflected orthographically (e.g., “Tod” versus “tot”) might make it more difficult for native speakers of English to learn to devoice German word-final, voiced targets. The findings of this investigation indicate that many of the 12 native English learners of L2 German who were studied showed at least a tendency toward devoicing voiced targets in German relative to their productions of orthographically similar words in English (e.g., “toad” and “tote”). Considerable inter-subject variability was observed, but in general, their partial devoicing in German (relative to their English productions) occurred as a result of producing somewhat shorter vowels before voiced consonant targets and/or less contrast between voiceless versus voiced consonant closure duration. Subjects who produced more characteristically “voiced” consonants when speaking English (i.e., with longer preceding vowel duration, etc.) also tended to devoice German final stops to a lesser extent.

► Many native English, early L2 learners of German show some amount of word-final devoicing. ► German spelling has a final voicing contrast, which may hinder English speakers learning to devoice. ► Devoicing by early L2 learners of German may be affected by their English voicing patterns.