本論文旨在從社會語言學的角度，研究台灣國語中的軟顎鼻音/ŋ/之語音變化。過去一些論文指出軟顎鼻音/ŋ/正歷經「前顎鼻音化」的過程，意即非優勢音[n]的出現正在增加；而且優勢音[ŋ]與非優勢音[n]兩變體之間的語音變化與外在的社會因素息息相關。然而，是何種社會因素或是社會因素對於語音變化所能影響的程度卻尚無定論。
　　本研究共有121受試者，分別從高雄市四個行政區以及不同社會階級挑選出來。蒐集語料的方式包括面談，朗讀短文、句子以及字表。所有訪談全部錄音，並進行統計分析，以進一步檢測軟顎鼻音(ŋ)與五項社會變數—性別、年齡、社會階級、種族和文體—之間的關連性。
　　研究結果顯示(1)性別並非影響語音的關鍵因素。除了男性偏好非優勢音[n]之外，老年女性以及低階之中產階級女性亦使用大量非優勢音[n]。兩個主要解釋是老年女性接受的教育較少，因而處於一個較少需要使用優勢音[ŋ]的境遇。再者，研究者的性別亦為一關鍵因素。結果發現，被女性調查員訪問的低階中產階級女性覺得心情上比較輕鬆，因而使用了較多的非優勢音[n]。(2) 年齡與語言使用型態有關。與年輕人(16~30)和老年人(51~)比起來，31至50歲之間的中年人使用最多的優勢音[ŋ]。(3)社會階級與語言使用型態有顯著相關。階級愈低，非優勢音[n]使用愈多。此外，在高階的勞動階層與低階的中產階級之受試者的語言表現上，發現了矯枉過正的現象。因為地位正好處於勞動與中產階級的交界，使得這兩階級之受試者對高一層的社會階級的壓力來得更敏感，因而過於講究語音的標準。(4)人們會根據不同社交場合調整說話方式。不論是何性別、年齡、社會階級的受試者，在最正式的語體—朗讀字表中，皆使用最多的優勢音。(5) 最後，研究發現種族亦非影響語音的關鍵因素。客籍、閩籍與外省籍的受試者在軟顎鼻音/ŋ/的使用上並無顯著差異。

　　This paper aims to explore the sound change in the production of velar nasals /ŋ/ in Taiwan Mandarin from a sociolinguistic perspective. Some studies have suggested that velar nasal /ŋ/ is undergoing a process of ‘alveolarization’; that is, the occurrences of non-prestigious [n] variant are on the increase. In addition, the phonological variation of non-prestigious [n] and prestigious [ŋ] is correlated with external social factors. However, there are no agreements on what kinds of social factors or on to what extent the social factors correlated with the variation.
　　In this study, one hundred and twenty-one informants, selected from four districts and social classes in Kaohsiung City, participated in the research. Four contextual styles were used to gather the linguistic date: oral interview, a short passage reading, sentence reading, and a wordlist reading. All interviews were recorded and the statistical analysis was tested to examine the interaction between velar nasal (ŋ) and five social variables—gender, age, social class, ethnicity and context.
　　The results indicate that (1) gender was not a determinant factor in the velar nasal /ŋ/ production. It was suggested that male speakers favor non-prestigious [n] variant. However, senior female subjects and lower middle-class female subjects also produced a lot of [n]. Two main possible explanations are given: some senior women received less education and are in a situation that prestigious forms [ŋ], are less needed; the gender of the researcher is also a key element. It was found that being interviewed by a female interviewer, lower middle-class women feel more relaxed and more non-prestigious [n] were produced. (2) Age was found to correlate with the informants’ linguistic performance. Compare to the younger people (16~30) and older people (above 51), those who aged between 31 to 50 produced the most prestigious forms [ŋ]. (3) A marked correlation was found between social class and linguistic behavior. The lower the class, the more non-prestigious forms [n] are produced. In addition, evidence of hypercorrection was found in the performance of upper working class and lower middle class subjects. The position of these two classes on the borderline between the working class and middle class causes them to be highly sensitive to the social pressure from higher social classes and thus hyper-correct in their use of standard speech forms. (4) People adjust their speeches in response to the formality of social situations. Informants, regardless of gender, age and social classes, produced the prestige forms of the variable most frequently in the most formal speech context—wordlist reading. (5) Finally, in the use of the (ng) variable, it was found that ethnicity did not play an important role. There is no statistical difference in the velar nasal production speeches of the Hakka, Minnan Ren, and mainlanders.

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