Nasal emission with a large gap can lead to what significant speech issue?

Nasal emission with a large gap is often associated with conditions such as cleft palate or other structural abnormalities that affect the velopharyngeal mechanism. When there is inadequate closure of the velopharyngeal port, air escapes through the nasal cavity during speech, leading to a characteristic speech pattern.

Weak or omitted consonants occur because the pressure necessary for the production of certain consonants, particularly plosive and fricative sounds, is diminished due to the air escaping nasally. This results in consonants being produced with less force or not being produced at all, significantly affecting intelligibility. The presence of nasal emission further complicates articulation, leading to reduced clarity in speech.

In contrast, excessive slurring, increased vowel length, and a limited phonetic inventory are not directly linked to nasal emission and do not capture the primary consequence of a large gap affecting velopharyngeal closure. Thus, the profound impact of weak or omitted consonants is the primary issue stemming from nasal emission associated with a significant structural gap.