How children perceive phonemically similar words

Every language has specific phoneme structures. However, the details of speech perception development are still unclear for language specific phonemes. To address this issue, we tested Japanese preschoolers regarding their perception of Japanese specific phonemes using a tablet device that can easily acquire data even from young children. In addition, we compared the data of children exhibiting a developmental and/or language delay with typically developing children to identify those children’s perceptual disadvantages. The research aims at providing a basic understanding of the interactions between the perceptual development of specific phonemes and language acquisition. In this way, we hope to contribute to such aspects of clinical practice as screening and speech therapy.