Perception of [ŭ] in Place of [l] Among Modern Bulgarians

Abstract

This paper presents an experimental study on the perception of [ŭ], focusing on four perceptual styles that vary by context and attentional demand. These styles include: (a) a single isolated word with [ŭ]; (b) a group of three words, one containing [ŭ]; (c) a short sentence with one [ŭ] word; and (d) a short paragraph of three or four sentences including one [ŭ] word. As the amount of contextual material increases, the listener’s attention span typically decreases. The study aims to determine whether listeners can reliably recognize [ŭ] across these different perceptual styles and to establish a hierarchy of recognition success. Data were gathered through an online, non-representative survey involving participants of various ages. The analysis also takes into account existing research on the emergence and increasing frequency of [ŭ] in contemporary spoken Bulgarian, particularly among younger speakers. The study confirms that the perception of [ŭ] in place of [l] depends on the perceptual style: recognition rates are highest in isolated words and lowest in coherent texts, while socio-demographic factors show little influence.