JSLHR Papers in Press. Published May 21, 2012, as doi: 10.1044/1092-4388(2012/11-0080) The final version is at http://jslhr.asha.org. Running Head: Speech Sound Acquisition of Hong Kong Cantonese A population study of children's acquisition of Hong Kong Cantonese consonants, vowels, and tones Carol K. S. To The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR Pamela S. P. Cheung Child Assessment Service, Hong Kong SAR Sharynne McLeod Charles Sturt University, Australia Address for Correspondence: Carol To, Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, 5/F Prince Philip Dental Hospital, 34 Hospital Road, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong SAR. Email:
[email protected] Tel: 852-28590591 Fax: 852-25590060 This is an author-produced manuscript that has been peer reviewed and accepted for publication in the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research (JSLHR). As the “Papers in Press” version of the manuscript, it has not yet undergone copyediting, proofreading, or other quality controls associated with final published articles. As the publisher and copyright holder, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) disclaims any liability resulting from use of inaccurate or misleading data or information contained herein. Further, the authors have disclosed that permission has been obtained for use of any copyrighted material and that, if applicable, conflicts of interest have been noted in the manuscript. 1 Copyright 2012 by The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Abstract Purpose. This study investigated children’s acquisition of Hong Kong Cantonese. Method. Participants were 1,726 children aged 2;4 to11;7. Single-word speech samples were collected to examine four measures: initial consonants, final consonants, vowels/diphthongs, and lexical tones.