Question

Relative to voiceless stops, voiced stops have

a) much shorter VOT
b) VOT about the same as voiceless stops
c) much longer VOT
d) VOT that changes with age
e) VOT that depends on the surrounding vowels

Answer 1

Relative to voiceless stops, voiced stops have a much shorter VOT. This can be illustrated through the pronunciation patterns in English, such as the short vowel found in the VCC pattern of the word 'latter' as opposed to the long vowel in the VCV pattern of 'later'.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question you've asked is about the Voice Onset Time (VOT) in voiced and voiceless stops. Voiced stops are sounds like b, d, and g, which engage the vocal cords and typically have a much shorter VOT than voiceless stops like p, t, and k. When it comes to vowel sounds, the patterns of pronunciation such as VCC and VCV are crucial.

For example, in the VCC pattern, the vowel will usually be short, as found in the word 'latter' with the short a vowel sound. Alternatively, in a VCV pattern, like the word 'later', the first vowel sound is typically long.

Specifically, the correct answer to your question is that relative to voiceless stops, voiced stops have a much shorter VOT. VOT can also be affected by factors such as vowel sounds and spelling patterns, but for the specific comparison between voiced and voiceless stops, it's the relative duration of the VOT that is relevant.