The Relation Between Spelling And Pronunciation

This paper presents a study of the impact of pronunciation on the spelling of /E/verb endings in French. The pronunciation of /E/endings varies according to which areas the French language is used. In some areas, the /E/verb endings are pronounced either /e/or/epsilon/, according to the verb tense, whereas in others this opposition has progressively disappeared in time. Since the opposition /e/similar to/e/leads to spelling distinctions, it is hypothesized that contrasting phonological forms may help the writer to avoid spelling errors. To test this hypothesis, 136 fifth-graders from specific different regions were required to transcribe different verb endings in /E/.The transcriptions from areas where the phonological opposition is usually observed were compared with those from areas where the opposition is neutralized. The data reveals that, although there is a tendency for students in areas where phonological opposition is still present to use phonologically compatible endings, the absence of neutralization does not necessarily guarantee the correct selection of verb endings.