MRC psycholinguistic database search program

Abstract

This paper describes a computer search program based on the Medical Research Council Psycholinguistic Database of English words. The program allows words to be extracted from that database according to word length, number of syllables or phonemes, and various psycholinguistic criteria such as frequency of use, imageability, concreteness, meaning, and so forth. Thus it is possible to create, for example, lists of two-syllable words of high and low familiarity. It is also possible to examine properties of given sets of words created by the researcher. Lists of these words with or without their properties and with or without a statistical analysis of those properties may be produced. Particular spellings but not particular phonemes may be searched for. Copyright 1997 Psychonomic Society, Inc.