Mispronunciations

A variety of mispronunciations occur in the auditory-linguistic dyslexic. Critchley noted incorrect pronunciation of vowels. Already noted it the difficulty that the child has with short vowels. The child may not fully comprehend the difference between short and long vowel sounds, thus confusing for example /mat/ and /mate/, /hat/ and /hate/. The variations in sounds that certain words produce are especially baffling for this child. For instance, words /hut/, /mut/, /put/ have, with the exception of initial consonant sounds, identical properties and yet the pronunciation of the last is entirely different. Similarly, in words /have/, /gave/, save/, initial consonants are different but the rest is the same in all three words, yet the pronunciation is different in the first while the other two rhyme. Other mispronunciations may affect initial, medial of final sounds of individual consonants or consonant blends, digraphs, or diphthongs. Wiig and Semel noted special difficulties with blend which have /l/, /w/, or /r/ in second position. Insertions of extra sounds produce mispronunciations, as in /trick/ for /tick/, just as omissions do. Incorrect stress on syllables in words may also produce mispronunciation.

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