OPIYO ROBERT2026-10-182026-10-182024http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14270/1016This study is titled “A comparative study of the phonotactics of English and Acholi: Implications for the pronunciation of English by native speakers of Acholi.” The objectives of the study were to establish the relationship between the English and Acholi phonotactics and examine the impact of this relationship as regards the pronunciation of English words by L1 Acholi speakers. The study assessed these phonotactic features based on the syllable structure, syllable types and syllable boundaries involving selected English and Acholi words. The study used 80 respondents, who were selected using stratified and simple random sampling. It was conducted based on the descriptive survey and comparative designs, using both the quantitative and qualitative orientations, couched within the contrastive theoretical analysis and the transfer theory. The study used reading activities and semi-structured interviews (conversational modules), which were audio–recorded, as well as a questionnaire survey and library search methods. The study findings showed that both English and Acholi share the phonotactic elements under consideration, i.e. syllable structures (e.g. /gw/ in gwok /gwok/ ‘dog’ and guava /gwɑ:və/), syllable types (e.g. CCVC in dwön /dwɔn/ ‘voice’ and twin /twɪn/) and syllable boundaries (e.g. CV.CV in lëla /lɛ.la/ and baker /beɪ.kǝ/). Essentially, Acholi and English differ in syllable structures (e.g. /pr/ in prank /præŋk/), syllable types (e.g. CCCVCC in sprint /sprɪnt/) and syllable boundaries (e.g. ambisyllabic ‘tenor’). In addition, the findings showed that as a result of the similarities and differences between the phonotactics of the two languages, the Acholi L2 speakers of English were able to produce native-like pronunciations of English words based on the parameters syllable structure (e.g. eat /i:t/), syllable types (e.g. twin /twɪn/) and syllable boundaries as in ‘victim’ /vɪk.tɪm/ (CVC.CVC). By contrast, as far differences are concerned, the Acholi L2 speakers had challenges in the pronunciation of words in relation to syllable structure as in ‘servants’, which was pronounced as /savan/ or /savanz/, and syllable types (e.g. ‘twelfth’ pronounced as /twelf/). The study recommends that the English language teachers should endeavor to be conversant with the phonotactics of both languages, which they should teach learners, using relevant teaching methods and learning aids.enPHONOTACTICSHUMANITIES and RELIGION::Languages and linguistics::Other Germanic languages::English languageACHOLIPRONUNCIATIONSPEAKERSThesis