Why does the perceived vowel quality of /u/ (as in 'boot') differ slightly when spoken after a labial consonant like /p/ versus a dorsal consonant like /k/?

💡 Explanation

The perceived vowel quality changes because acoustic dispersion, caused by consonant articulation, affects formant transitions; the vocal tract configuration differs based on the preceding consonant. Therefore, formant transitions vary, rather than the other explanations of lexical access or motor theory of perception.

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