An articulatory basis for the labial-to-coronal effect: ÕpataÕ seems a more stable articulatory pattern than ÕtapaÕ

This paper investigates the coordination between the jaw, the tongue tip, and the lower lip during repetition with rate increase of labial-to-coronal LaCo consonant-vowel-consonant-vowel disyllables e.g., /pata/ and coronal-to-labial CoLa ones e.g., /tapa/ by French speakers. For the two types of disyllables: 1 the speeding process induces a shift from two jaw cycles per disyllable to a single cycle; 2 this shift modifies the coordination between the jaw and the constrictors, and 3 comes with a progression toward either a LaCo attractor e.g., /pata/ or /tapa/ → /patá/ → /ptá/ or a CoLa one e.g., /pata/ or /tapa/ → /tapá/ → /tpá/ . Yet, 4 the LaCo attractor is clearly favored regardless of the initial sequencing. These results are interpreted as evidence that a LaCo CVCV disyllable could be a more stable coordinative pattern for the lip-tongue-jaw motor system than a CoLa one. They are discussed in relation with the so-called LC effect that is the preference for LaCo associations rather than CoLa ones in CV.CV disyllables in both world languages and infants’ first words. © 2007 Acoustical Society of America. DOI: 10.1121/1.2734497