Perception of an Allophonic Distinction from Conversational Speech

Abstract

Mandarin Chinese has two affricates that can be confusing to English learners. The first is represented in the Pinyin romanization system as j and the second as zh. In the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA,) they are represented as respectively [tɕ] and [tʂ] (Lee 2003). [tɕ], henceforth referred to as j, is a laminal alveolo-palatal affricate, pronounced with the front part of the tongue obstructing the flow of air at the anterior portion of the hard palate (Dow 1972). [tʂ], henceforth referred to as zh, is an apical post-alveolar affricate, made by raising the tip of the tongue against the anterior part of the hard palate behind the alveolar ridge (Dow 1972).