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Articles on Speech

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French, Spanish and Japanese are spoken faster than German, Vietnamese and Mandarin, with English somwhere in the middle. Aaron Amat/iStock/Getty Images Plus

Why somepeopletalkveryfast and others … take … their … time − despite stereotypes, it has nothing to do with intelligence

Language, geography, age and other factors can all affect how fast a person talks. But sometimes, these perceived differences are only in the listener’s head.
Dobble is a card game with rules that makes it sound easier than it actually is. Ana Belen Garcia Sanchez/Shutterstock

Dobble: what is the psychology behind the game?

Dobble is a card game that originated in France in 2009. It involves observation, articulation and speed.
Speech patterns. Bobboz via Getty Images

Do accents disappear?

Many people fear the disappearance of the unique way some communities speak. But accent loss is a complicated notion and embracing both language variation and change can be an important social goal.
When you imitate the speech of others, there’s a thin line between whether it’s a social asset or faux pas. Franklin McMahon/Corbis via Getty Images

What makes us subconsciously mimic the accents of others in conversation

We often imitate styles of speech we hear – what’s known as ‘linguistic convergence.’ But a researcher wanted to see if we alter our speech based on the mere expectation of how someone will sound.

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