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Move, Rove, Love: Color Cues Help Learning Novel English Words When Pronunciation Is Not Predictable from Spelling

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Title: Move, Rove, Love: Color Cues Help Learning Novel English Words When Pronunciation Is Not Predictable from Spelling
Language: English
Authors: Tiphaine Caudrelier (ORCID 0000-0001-7055-0022), Jessi Jacobsen, Catherine Clark, Clara D. Martin (ORCID 0000-0003-2701-5045)
Source: Language Learning. 2026 76(1):28-66.
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 39
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Classification, Spanish Speaking, Vocabulary Development, Aural Learning, Visual Learning, Pronunciation, Orthographic Symbols, Spelling
DOI: 10.1111/lang.12709
ISSN: 0023-8333
1467-9922
Abstract: Seeing written forms of novel words during learning can help memorize vocabulary, but it may alter pronunciation, especially when orthography is opaque like in English. This study investigated whether a color-code helps participants learn novel words with unpredictable pronunciation. Sixty Spanish speakers learned 16 English-like pseudowords in one of three training conditions. "Audio" group learned training items with the auditory word form only. Two other groups learned items with auditory and written forms, with a color-code ("ColorCode" group) or with random colors ("RandColor" group). Elicited speech samples from each group were assessed for recall and pronunciation accuracy. "ColorCode" group outperformed other groups on pronunciation in posttest tasks including reading training items in black text, and reading color-coded untrained items. Color-code benefits even strengthened one week later. These findings indicate that a color-code can support pronunciation learning in languages with opaque orthography and should be more systematically implemented in learning resources.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1496702
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Move, Rove, Love: Color Cues Help Learning Novel English Words When Pronunciation Is Not Predictable from Spelling
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Tiphaine+Caudrelier%22">Tiphaine Caudrelier</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7055-0022">0000-0001-7055-0022</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jessi+Jacobsen%22">Jessi Jacobsen</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Catherine+Clark%22">Catherine Clark</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Clara+D%2E+Martin%22">Clara D. Martin</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2701-5045">0000-0003-2701-5045</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Language+Learning%22"><i>Language Learning</i></searchLink>. 2026 76(1):28-66.
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: 39
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Classification%22">Classification</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Spanish+Speaking%22">Spanish Speaking</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Vocabulary+Development%22">Vocabulary Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Aural+Learning%22">Aural Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Visual+Learning%22">Visual Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pronunciation%22">Pronunciation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Orthographic+Symbols%22">Orthographic Symbols</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Spelling%22">Spelling</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1111/lang.12709
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  Data: 0023-8333<br />1467-9922
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  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Seeing written forms of novel words during learning can help memorize vocabulary, but it may alter pronunciation, especially when orthography is opaque like in English. This study investigated whether a color-code helps participants learn novel words with unpredictable pronunciation. Sixty Spanish speakers learned 16 English-like pseudowords in one of three training conditions. "Audio" group learned training items with the auditory word form only. Two other groups learned items with auditory and written forms, with a color-code ("ColorCode" group) or with random colors ("RandColor" group). Elicited speech samples from each group were assessed for recall and pronunciation accuracy. "ColorCode" group outperformed other groups on pronunciation in posttest tasks including reading training items in black text, and reading color-coded untrained items. Color-code benefits even strengthened one week later. These findings indicate that a color-code can support pronunciation learning in languages with opaque orthography and should be more systematically implemented in learning resources.
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      – SubjectFull: Classification
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      – SubjectFull: Spanish Speaking
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      – SubjectFull: Visual Learning
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      – SubjectFull: Pronunciation
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      – TitleFull: Move, Rove, Love: Color Cues Help Learning Novel English Words When Pronunciation Is Not Predictable from Spelling
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