Vowel Phonemes in Swear Words and Infant Directed Speech Exist in Distinct Regions in Vowel Quadrilateral and Perceptual Dimensions

Virtual · October 2025

Poster · Cognitive Science

Kristopher Patten
Arizona State University

Abstract

English-speakers use /i/ to replicate high-f₀ sounds, /ʌ/ for low. Likewise, /u/ is used for calm sounds, /æ/ for alarming. Phoneme distribution differs between typical and swear words, χ²=65,p<.001. American and British swears favor /ʌ/ and /æ/, while IDS favors /i/ and /u/. This holds true for other Indoeuropean languages.

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Vowel Phonemes in Swear Words and Infant Directed Speech Exist in Distinct Regions in Vowel Quadrilateral and Perceptual Dimensions

Abstract

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