Multiple Patterns of Merging Guangzhou Cantonese Tones in Production and Perception: Study on Youth Groups

This study investigates the merging trends of the low-level tone 22 (T6) in Guangzhou Cantonese and the relationship between production and perception in tonal merging. Through production and perception experiments, we found that among the Guangzhou youth group, the Cantonese low-level tone T6(22) in the merger competition state was more likely to merge with the same level tone T3(33) than T4(21) in terms of production and perception. For the 21–22 and 21–33 tone pairs, the majority of participants had a perceived correctness rate greater than 0.9, whereas for the 22–33 tone pairs, about 0.33 participants had a correctness rate of less than 0.9. Six patterns of evolution are observed in the merging process, one part of the participants demonstrated the connection between production and perception in tone merging, and one part demonstrated the asymmetry between production and perception. The pattern of production merging earlier than perception is relatively rare in previous studies. The use of perceptual cues can also reflect the relationship between production and perception. Groups that demonstrate a more balanced performance in both production and perception experiments tend to use production and perception cues more symmetrically.