The interplay between prosodic prominence and boundary strength in the production of English checked steady-statevowels

Abstract This paper studies the effect of prosodic prominence on the production of English checked steady-state vowels. Previous studies found that prosodic factors, such as proximity to a strong prosodic boundary, influence vowel production, but the effect of prosodic prominence has not been studied in sufficient detail. This paper addresses this gap, examining if vowel duration correlates with prosodic prominence, more specifically with a three-way distinction between primary, secondary and non-prominence. This effect is compared to that of proximity to a strong prosodic boundary and to the prosodic boundary strength. This allows us to investigate not only the potential role of prosodic prominence in vowel production but also how it holds up to the previously observed effects of proximity and prosodic boundary strength. The findings provide new insights into the production of English vowels, while also adducing evidence for the relevance of a three-way phonological distinction between primary, secondary and non-prominence.