Phonetic and phonological variation in digital discourse: perception and evaluative attitudes of future philologists

Abstract

Abstract. The article aims to systematize the theoretical foundations of phonetic and phonological variation in electronic media and to determine how such variation is recognized and evaluated by students of English philology. The relevance of the topic lies in the fact that digital platforms function not only as channels of language distribution but also as active mechanisms that shape pronunciation, prosody, speech rate, and socially marked patterns of spoken performance. The study combines a theoretical review of research in phonetics, phonology, sociolinguistics, and digital linguistics with observation of authentic media speech in video, audio, and text-based environments, as well as quantitative and qualitative analysis of questionnaire data obtained from 102 English philology students. The article identifies the most typical forms of media-induced variation: consonant cluster reduction, non-standard spelling as a written reflection of spoken reduction, stylized intonation, algorithm-driven articulatory accommodation to speech-recognition systems, and the formation of new pronunciation habits under the influence of TikTok, YouTube, podcasts, and voice interfaces. The findings indicate that intensive exposure to digital content correlates with a higher ability to recognize non-standard phonetic and phonological forms and with a greater degree of acceptance of such forms in informal communication. Most respondents interact with electronic media for several hours a day, which increases their contact with variable models of English pronunciation. The conclusions show that electronic media accelerate the circulation of phonetic innovation, blur the boundary between normative and stylized speech, and require a reconsideration of practical phonetics instruction. It is therefore advisable to include samples of authentic digital speech in pronunciation courses, develop sociophonetic awareness, and strengthen students’ critical media-linguistic literacy.