The 23rd Old-World Conference in Phonology (OCP23) will take place at Gonville & Caius College in Cambridge (United Kingdom) from 14 January to 16 January 2026. Submissions reflecting various perspectives on phonology, including but not limited to formal, typological, and laboratory approaches, will be accepted for review. Abstracts based on first-hand empirical data, especially field data on lesser-resourced languages, are particularly encouraged.
Please check this page regularly for updates; last updated: 14 April.
Submit an abstract
Author guidelines
History of the Conference
The Old-World Conference in Phonology (OCP) was founded in 2003 by the Leiden University Centre for Linguistics and the Meertens Institute. Initially inspired by a series of HIL-Phonology (HILP) conferences held in Leiden, Amsterdam, and Potsdam, OCP has grown into a prominent annual event that attracts both junior and senior researchers from around the globe.Over the years, OCP has been hosted in various cities across Europe (most recently in Amsterdam), including Warsaw, Verona, London, Düsseldorf, Budapest, Barcelona, Leiden, Istanbul, Berlin, Marrakech, Nice, Edinburgh, Toulouse, Rhodes, Budapest, Tromsø, Leiden, Eivissa, Donostia/San Sebastian, and Tours. Each conference features a diverse range of presentations covering both experimental and theoretical aspects of phonology.
Important information (Q&A)
- Is it possible to participate in the Conference online?
For now, it’s only possible to present in person, although we are planning to arrange an online option for non-presenting attendees. - I will need a UK visa.
We will provide a letter of support to confirmed authors upon request. Please send an email to Yury Makarov with your passport name; it is usually useful to include your date of birth or passport ID in the letter. We hope to notify accepted authors a few months ahead of the conference so that there is ample time for submitting a visa application. - Will there be poster sessions?
Yes. - How many submissions can a person make?
A maximum of two: one single-/co-authored + one co-authored. - Can submissions from students be accepted?
Yes! - Will there be any satellite workshops?
A workshop on theory complexity/computability is planned. We will update this page when more details become available. - Who are the invited speakers?
The invited speakers will be announced soon - What is the main venue of the Conference?
Gonville & Caius, founded in 1348, is one of the oldest colleges of the University of Cambridge. The main conference will take place in the Old Courts, conveniently located right in the city centre. We hope that such an environment will not only facilitate phonology-related discussions but also provide the ultimate Cambridge experience. - Are any social events planned?
We are planning to host a drinks & canapé reception and a conference dinner in one of the Cambridge dining halls. While the list may be extended with other events, we are sure that you will enjoy your stay in Cambridge. - Is there any practical information on staying in Cambridge?
Please check this page after the notifications of acceptance have been sent.
If you have a different question, please contact Yury Makarov (im562@cam.ac.uk).