The activation of embedded words in spoken word recognition

How do listeners understand English words that have shorter words in them? We tested six types of embedded words, varying their positions in carrier words and their proportions of carrier words. In auditory-auditory priming experiments, isolated embedded words (e.g., ham) primed their targets under optimal conditions, when they were compressed/expanded, and under cognitive load. Within carrier words (e.g., hamster) presented under optimal conditions, the same set of embedded words produced priming only when they were at the beginning of, or comprised a large proportion of the carrier words. No priming was found when the carrier words were compressed/expanded, were presented with one segment replaced by noise, or under cognitive load. The results suggest that both embedded position and proportion play important roles in embedded word activation, but that such activation only occurs under unusually good conditions.