Do distinctive features play a role in speech errors? Evidence from English

Abstract

This paper examines phonological speech errors through the lens of distinctive feature theory, addressing two central questions: whether distinctive features operate independently or interdependently, and how frequently speech errors involve single-feature consonant substitutions. The analysis demonstrates that feature dependency varies according to the theoretical framework applied. Drawing on 100 consonant speech errors extracted from the Fromkin Speech Error Database, nearly 50% involve phonemes differing by only one distinctive feature. These findings confirm the relevance of distinctive features in speech production research and establish a methodological foundation for future investigations extending the analysis to vowels and typologically diverse languages.