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The Frequency Of Retroflex /R/ Production In Elementary School Children, Vicki Barna Wood

Dissertations and Theses

In articulation treatment and diagnosis, it is essential to possess a thorough knowledge of what is “normal” as well as what is “defective” articulation. The /r/ phoneme is one of the most frequently occurring and most commonly defective sounds. There are two different tongue positions for the /r/ phoneme described in the literature (retroflex and central hump), with many assumptions about which tongue position is “normal” or “most common.” None of these assumptions, however, are based on empirical data.

The purpose of this study was to provide some normative data regarding which of the two tongue positions is most common …