Rate-dependent Perception of Aspiration and Pre-aspiration in Icelandic

1996 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 745-764 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jörgen Pind
Keyword(s):  
Voice Onset Time ◽  
Onset Time ◽  
Speaking Rate ◽  
Rate Dependent ◽  
The Face ◽  
Speech Cues ◽  
Context Dependent ◽  
Offset Time ◽  
Speech Segments ◽  
Over Time

Speech segments are highly context-dependent and acoustically variable. One factor that contributes heavily to the variability of speech is speaking rate. Some speech cues are temporal in nature—that is, the distinctions that they signify are defined over time. How can temporal speech cues keep their distinctiveness in the face of extrinsic transformations, such as those wrought by different speaking rates? This issue is explored with respect to the perception, in Icelandic, of Voice Onset Time as a cue for word-initial stop voicing, wordinitial aspiration as a cue for [h], and Voice Offset Time as a cue for pre-aspiration. All the speech cues show rate-dependent perception though to different degrees, with Voice Offset Time being most sensitive to rate changes and Voice Onset Time least sensitive. The differences in the behaviour of these speech cues are related to their different positions in the syllable.

Cross-language correspondences in the face of change: Phonetic independence versus convergence in two Korean-Mandarin bilingual communities

2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 157-199
Author(s):  
Jessamyn Schertz ◽  
Yoonjung Kang ◽  
Sungwoo Han
Keyword(s):  
Language Change ◽  
Voice Onset Time ◽  
Onset Time ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Place Of Articulation ◽  
The Face ◽  
Tightly Coupled ◽  
Bilingual Communities ◽  
Cross Language ◽  
Over Time

Aims and Objectives/Purpose/Research Questions: We investigate the robustness of cross-language phonetic correspondences in two bilingual communities over time, focusing on whether corresponding sounds (e.g. Mandarin /s/ and Korean /s’/) remain coupled in the face of language change, or whether the categories diverge over time in younger, more proficient bilinguals. Design/Methodology/Approach: We quantify the extent of assimilation versus independence of categories across languages by comparing bilinguals’ production of place of articulation and laryngeal contrasts in Mandarin and Korean sibilants. Distinct language-internal changes were expected on each dimension. Data and analysis: 107 speakers varying in age (aged 19–83), gender, and dialect participated in the study. Acoustic measurements (center of gravity of frication, voice onset time) and statistical analyses were performed on a total of ~11,000 tokens. Findings/Conclusions: The extent of cross-language independence differed on the two dimensions. Corresponding segments across the two languages remained tightly coupled in terms of place of articulation, even in the face of change; on the other hand, a language-internal change in the Korean laryngeal contrast left corresponding Mandarin segments unaffected, resulting in divergence of originally corresponding categories. We also found unpredicted changes on each dimension, and these changes progressed concurrently in the two languages. Originality: The study of correspondences in the context of independent sound change provides a unique perspective from which to evaluate the robustness of cross-language interaction, and the parallel analysis of two separate dimensions in two communities adds to the generalizability of results. Significance/Implications: Most changes occurred concurrently in the two languages, suggesting that similar phonetic categories across languages can remain tightly coupled, even in highly proficient bilinguals where phonetic independence is expected. However, one of the primary expected changes (voice onset time merger in Korean) did not affect corresponding segments in Mandarin, indicating that the extent of cross-language independence in phonetic correspondences may differ even within the same population. We discuss potential reasons for the different results.

Characteristics of Speech Production after Tracheoesophageal Puncture

1986 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 499-504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne Robbins ◽  
John Christensen ◽  
Gail Kempster
Keyword(s):  
Motor Control ◽  
Speech Production ◽  
Voice Onset Time ◽  
Onset Time ◽  
Major Influence ◽  
Vowel Duration ◽  
Voice Production ◽  
Audio Recordings ◽  
Tracheoesophageal Puncture ◽  
Offset Time

Voice onset time (VOT) and vowel duration characteristics of speakers following the Singer-Blom technique of tracheoesophageal puncture (1980) were compared to those of traditional esophageal and laryngeal speakers. Fifteen subjects in each of the three speaker groups produced the words /pik/, /kup/, and /kup/ in a carrier phrase while audio recordings were obtained. Broadband spectrograms were made of the consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) utterances and vowel duration and VOT were measured. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) procedures revealed that the tracheoesophageal speakers produced significantly shorter VOTs and longer vowel durations than the laryngeal speakers. However, the longer vowel durations for the traeheoesophageal speakers were not completely accounted for by the shorter VOTs found for that group. Spectrographic examination suggests that delayed voice offset time for the tracheoesophageal speakers also contributes to their longer vowel durations. Overall findings indicate that the physical characteristics and motor control properties of the neoglottis, even when driven by pulmonary air as in tracheoesophageal speakers, exert a major influence on alaryngeal voice production.

Acoustical Durations of Speech Segments During Stuttering Adaptation

1990 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 494-504 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Prins ◽  
Carol P. Hubbard
Keyword(s):  
Free Speech ◽  
Voice Onset Time ◽  
Onset Time ◽  
Vowel Duration ◽  
Related Literature ◽  
Speech Segments ◽  
High Adaptation ◽  
Speech Naturalness

Acoustical durations of stutter- and disfluency-free speech segments from Readings #1 and #5 in an adaptation series were measured in 4 adapting, 4 nonadapting, and 4 nonstuttering subjects. The segment durations measured were intervocalic interval, stop-gap, voice onset time, and vowel duration. No clear trends in the change of acoustical durations from Reading #1 to Reading #5 distinguished the adapting, nonadapting, or nonstuttering subjects. Moreover, on the basis of speech naturalness judgments, listeners did not differentiate the Reading #1 and #5 phrase segments of subjects with high adaptation versus those with low adaptation scores. From these findings and related literature, adaptation of stuttering, as well as other fluency-inducing conditions, are viewed as circumstances that reduce demands upon central motor-linguistic processes.

Resistance of Voice Onset Time Variability to Intoxication

1992 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 415-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradford L. Swartz
Keyword(s):  
Voice Onset Time ◽  
Onset Time ◽  
Time Variability ◽  
Test Analysis ◽  
Age Range ◽  
Over Time

Voice onset times of /d/ and /t/ were measured for 16 adult subjects (age range 21 to 26 years) under conditions of sobriety and intoxication. Subjects consumed beer to reach intoxication levels between 0.075 and 0.100% as measured using a portable breathalyzer test. Analysis indicated consistent variabilities over time for each subject and resistance of VOT variability to alcohol influence.

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