Withgott effect

proper noun

A phenomenon relating to the pronunciation of stops in American English, whereby words appear to be chunked into pronunciation units, based on their morphology, which may block flapping.

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Meanings

proper noun
  1. human sciencesA phenomenon relating to the pronunciation of stops in American English, whereby words appear to be chunked into pronunciation units, based on their morphology, which may block flapping.

Origin

Observed by M. M. Withgott in a 1982 dissertation.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Withgott effect. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Withgott%20effect

MLA

“Withgott effect.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Withgott%20effect. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Withgott effect,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Withgott%20effect.

Source: Withgott effect on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.