Marie K. Huffman

Marie K. Huffman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Linguistics at Stony Brook University, specializing in phonetics with a focus on how pronunciation adapts to linguistic and communicative contexts. She holds a Ph.D. from UCLA (1989).

Her research examines the interaction between first (L1) and second (L2) language systems, particularly in adult learners, and how speakers adjust pronunciation based on dialect and communicative settings. She co-leads a National Science Foundation-funded project on language adaptation in multilingual university environments, involving Psychology, Linguistics, and Asian Studies.

Key research interests include phonetic drift in bilingual contexts, L2 category formation, and the role of prosody in speech processing. Her work bridges experimental phonetics and sociolinguistics, emphasizing practical applications in language learning and communication.

Major grants include NSF awards for integrating teaching and research, particularly in second language phonetics. She has published extensively on topics such as non-native accent processing, vowel systems in L2 learners, and the impact of dialogue dynamics on speech adaptation.

Collaborative projects include co-editing The Oxford Handbook of Laboratory Phonology (2012) and studies on nasalization and velopharyngeal function in speech production.