Alexandra Pfiffner

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Assistant Professor

My main research interests include (1) the phonetics/phonology interface, in particular how phonetic cues can vary, how they shape phonological systems, and how they drive sound change over time, (2) sociophonetics and language variation and change, and (3) phonetic and phonological description and documentation. I approach these topics through research in speech perception and production, combining quantitative, computational, and experimental methods with fieldwork.

Education:

Georgetown University, PhD in Theoretical Linguistics (2021)

Georgetown University, MS in Theoretical Linguistics (2017)

Colgate University, BA in Spanish Language and Literature (2015)

Areas of Interest:
Language Documentation
Phonetics and Phonology
Sociolinguistics and Language Variation
Specific Research Areas:

The phonetics/phonology interface, laboratory phonology, experimental phonetics, speech perception, sociophonetics, language variation and change, American dialects, forensic linguistics

Selected Publications:

Du, B. & Pfiffner, A. M. (2026). The co-variance of acoustic cues and lip gestures in the production of the Mandarin sibilant contrast. Laboratory Phonology, 17(1), 1-40. https://doi.org/10.16995/labphon.20289

Pfiffner, A. M. (2025). Acoustic cues and obstruent devoicing in Minnesotan English. Publication of the American Dialect Society, 110(1): 1-33. https://doi.org/10.1215/00031283-10867196

Pfiffner, A. M. (2025). Women of all ages lead tonogenesis in Afrikaans. Journal of Germanic Linguistics, 37(3), 270-286. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1470542725100056

Courses Taught:
LING 8021

Contact Information

apfiffner@uga.edu
Office: Gilbert 144

Other Information

Professional Web site: Alexandra Pfiffner, PhD, ResearchGate, ORCID

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