Characterization and comparison of the acquisition of /k/ and /g/ and of [kw] and [gw] in cases of phonological disorder

Abstract

Purpose: compare and characterize the acquisition of phonetic sequences [kw] and [gw] and plosives /k/ and /g/ in children with phonological disorders, considering linguistic and extralinguistic factors. Method: the sample was composed by 28 girls and 38 boys, aged between 5:0 and 8:0, with atypical phonological development. Analyzed a corpus of 2.205 Brazilian Portuguese words containing the phonetic sequences [kw] and [gw] and the phonemes /k/ and /g/. In the dependent variable was considered correct and incorrect production. The intervening variables were: sex, age, tonicity, number of syllables in the word, preceding syllable context, following syllable context, word position, sonority and segment complexity. It was used for statistical analysis the VARBRUL package, with a 5% of significance. Results: to the data of the /k/ and /g / phonemes, the program indicated as statistically significant the variables of age, number of syllables, word position and sonority. For [kw] and [gw] sequences, was selected only the variable of sonority. In round where data were considered in a single group (/k/ with /g/ + [kw] with [gw]), the variable complexity of the segment was selected as statistically significant, most likely to correct production of /k/ e /g/ phonemes. Conclusion: the /k/ and /g/ phonemes favored the correct production, indicating the hypothesis that [kw] and [gw] sequences may be regarded as complex segments of Brazilian Portuguese also in cases of phonological disorders.