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The effects of script specificity on word recognition: syllabic type, syllabic format, and reading direction in Korean Hangul

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Abstract

This study examined tripartite dichotomous script specificity in word recognition of Hangul, including syllabic types (CV vs. CVC syllables), syllabic formats (horizontal vs. vertical), and reading directions (horizontal vs. vertical). Adult readers (Mage = 21.6) participated in standard lexical decision tasks in two experiments. Experiment 1 (n = 26) addressed the effects of the two syllabic types and the two syllabic formats in the horizontal reading direction. Experiment 2 (n = 26) presented the same stimuli in the vertical reading direction. Results showed the advantage of CVC syllables over CV syllables. When the syllabic format was considered, however, the CVC advantage disappeared in the condition of the vertical format in vertical reading direction. In the CV disyllabic words, the vertical format was more effective than the horizontal format. In the CVC disyllabic words, however, the horizontal format was more effective. When the participants’ performance on the two reading directions was directly compared, marginal advantages were observed in the vertical reading direction. Overall, the CVC syllable advantage was moderated by the syllabic format and reading directions. The findings suggest that visual words are recognized as a function of script specificity.

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Notes

  1. According to Coulmas (1999), a graph refers to the “smallest formal unit of written language on the level of handwriting or print” (p. 173). Sampson (2015) also noted a graph to be the general term for any unit of any script. Hence, we used the term “graph” in this article to refer to the unit equivalent to the term “letter” in Roman alphabets to reflect the difference between Roman alphabets and non-Roman alphabets.

  2. In general, Hangul syllables are classified into six combinatory types based on the vowel type (i.e., horizontal- and vertical-shaped vowels; see Fig. 1 in Lee and Kim (1989). However, when digraphs in the final position are considered, a different classification is possible. In addition, spoken syllables (phonological syllables) and written syllables (orthographic syllables) in the Korean language and Hangul are different. The difference between orthographic syllables and spoken syllables is manifested in sound variations occurring between syllables for the sake of the economy of articulation, such as resyllabification (sound linking or liaison), nasalization, lateralization, palatalization, tensification, etc. Since this is beyond the scope of this study, we do not provide further information. For more information, see Pae et al. (2020).

  3. Although it is not technically horizontal per se, for the sake of contrast to the vertical syllable, the syllable with a left–right-bottom  graph array is called a “horizontal” syllable in this paper. Therefore, horizontal syllables refer to both left–right horizontal CV syllables and left–right-bottom  semi-horizontal CVC syllables without notation throughout the paper.

  4. We appreciate a reviewer’s comment regarding this.

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Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2020S1A5B5A16083065).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education, CECH, University of Cincinnati, 615R Teachers-Dyer Complex, OH, Cincinnati, USA

    Hye K. Pae

  2. Department of Psychology, Yeungnam University, 38541, Gyeongsan, Republic of Korea

    Sungbong Bae & Kwangoh Yi

  3. Department of Psychology, Yeungnam University, Kyungsan, South Korea

    Kwangoh Yi

Authors
  1. Sungbong Bae
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  2. Hye K. Pae
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Correspondence to Hye K. Pae or Kwangoh Yi.

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Appendix: Word stimui used for Experiments 1 and 2

Appendix: Word stimui used for Experiments 1 and 2

CV-CV

CVC-CVC

Horizontal

Vertical

Horizontal

Vertical

치아

노후

경직

통금

매개

유효

천막

동문

너비

효소

명찰

출품

서체

초고

약탈

복습

배차

추수

결판

준공

체재

교무

결핍

복종

재치

노고

민박

출동

패기

소모

인맥

공존

제대

표류

선반

충족

저해

조수

적발

풍문

타지

누수

경작

특종

미아

조교

걸작

속물

해녀

호두

결석

공습

제지

유추

단합

분홍

게재

도포

장갑

농축

마개

소포

식단

분출

허세

후추

면역

순종

비대

포수

신입

순금

비애

두유

편식

목동

차비

교주

진찰

속출

태자

도표

단결

복통

내세

고수

상벌

군중

처세

무효

함성

중급

해마

포부

신형

등본

처가

도주

명언

동승

서거

투고

청결

공문

세태

효도

발열

동족

채비

요추

감탄

중용

미대

추후

합산

폭등

피서

초보

작명

혼동

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Bae, S., Pae, H.K. & Yi, K. The effects of script specificity on word recognition: syllabic type, syllabic format, and reading direction in Korean Hangul. J Cult Cogn Sci 6, 179–198 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41809-022-00094-z

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