Why does 'minimal pair' identification in signed languages, such as American Sign Language (ASL), prove more challenging than in spoken languages?

💡 Explanation

Minimal pairs, differing by one feature, are harder to distinguish in signed languages because simultaneous articulation increases feature overlap. Sign parameters—handshape, location, movement, palm orientation—occur concurrently; therefore, discriminating subtle changes is cognitively demanding, rather than perceiving features sequentially as in spoken languages.

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