scholarly journals Variation and Change of the Phrae Pwo Karen Vowels and Tones Induced by Language Contact with the Tai Languages

MANUSYA ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Chommanad Intajamornrak
Keyword(s):  
Language Contact ◽  
Acoustic Characteristics ◽  
Formant Frequencies ◽  
Three Generations ◽  
Fundamental Frequencies

This paper aims to analyze and compare the acoustic characteristics of the vowels and tones in the Phrae Pwo Karen spoken by three generations. The data was collected at Khangchai Village in Wang Chin District, Phrae Province. A wordlist of Pwo Karen vowels and tones was recorded directly on to computer using Adobe Audition version 2. Fifteen female informants were divided into three groups: those over 60 years old, those 35-50 years old and those under 25 years old. The total number of test tokens was 405 for vowel analysis, and 810 for tone analysis. The fundamental frequencies and formant frequencies were measured using Praat version 5.1.43.

scholarly journals The articulatory and acoustic characteristics of Polish sibilants and their consequences for diachronic change

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 311-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Véronique Bukmaier ◽  
Jonathan Harrington
Keyword(s):  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
First Language ◽  
Gaussian Model ◽  
Complete Separation ◽  
Tongue Movement ◽  
Acoustic Characteristics ◽  
Formant Frequencies ◽  
Movement Data ◽  
Diachronic Change ◽  
Physiological Analysis

The study is concerned with the relative synchronic stability of three contrastive sibilant fricatives /sʂ ɕ/ in Polish. Tongue movement data were collected from nine first-language Polish speakers producing symmetrical real and non-word CVCV sequences in three vowel contexts. A Gaussian model was used to classify the sibilants from spectral information in the noise and from formant frequencies at vowel onset. The physiological analysis showed an almost complete separation between /sʂ ɕ/ on tongue-tip parameters. The acoustic analysis showed that the greater energy at higher frequencies distinguished /s/ in the fricative noise from the other two sibilant categories. The most salient information at vowel onset was for /ɕ/, which also had a strong palatalizing effect on the following vowel. Whereas either the noise or vowel onset was largely sufficient for the identification of /sɕ/ respectively, both sets of cues were necessary to separate /ʂ/ from /sɕ/. The greater synchronic instability of /ʂ/ may derive from its high articulatory complexity coupled with its comparatively low acoustic salience. The data also suggest that the relatively late stage of /ʂ/ acquisition by children may come about because of the weak acoustic information in the vowel for its distinction from /s/.

The Identification of a Speaker's Sex from Synthesized Vowels

1998 ◽  
Vol 87 (2) ◽  
pp. 595-600 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. P. Whiteside
Keyword(s):  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Test Scores ◽  
Test Analysis ◽  
Listening Test ◽  
Formant Frequencies ◽  
Perceptual Salience ◽  
Fundamental Frequencies

This experiment assessed whether fundamental frequency or formant frequencies have more perceptual salience in the identification of the sex of the speaker from synthesized vowels. Four sets of ten vowels were synthesized by combining fundamental frequencies and formant frequencies with different permutations 50 listeners took part in a listening test. Analysis of the listening test scores suggested that for 36 vowels, the fundamental frequency (F0) was probably the most salient perceptual cue. For the remaining four vowels, however, this was not the case as either the formant frequencies or the onset-offset patterns of the F0 appeared to have some perceptual salience.

Acoustics of Retroflex Sounds in Hindi and Other Languages

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 726-728
Author(s):  
Taniya Chawla ◽  
Kimberly M. Meigh
Keyword(s):  
Evidence Based ◽  
Speech Sounds ◽  
Formant Frequency ◽  
Acoustic Characteristics ◽  
Acoustic Data ◽  
Formant Frequencies ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Assessment And Treatment ◽  
Manner Of Articulation ◽  
Complex Movement

Purpose Retroflex sounds are frequently misarticulated speech sounds in India ( Kaur et al., 2017 ). This may be due to its complex movement that involves the tongue tip to be curled backward and often in contact behind the alveolar ridge ( Hamann, 2003 ). However, there is a paucity of acoustic studies that have measured different types of retroflex sounds in Hindi and other languages. The aim of this article is to provide information regarding the acoustic characteristics of retroflex speech sounds in Hindi and other languages. Conclusion Of all retroflex sounds, stop retroflex manner of articulation is the most studied. Formant frequencies help in distinguishing different places of articulation. Formant frequency F3 distinguishes retroflex sounds, whereas vowels play a crucial role in identifying the retroflex sound. There are insufficient acoustic data for retroflex sounds of manners different than stops (e.g., Hindi retroflex tap), which may lead to a lack of evidence-based assessment and treatment for these sounds.

Acoustic Characteristics of Speech Produced Without Oral Sensation

1973 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshiyuki Horii ◽  
Arthur S. House ◽  
Kung-Pu Li ◽  
Robert L. Ringel
Keyword(s):  
Speech Processing ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
Continuous Speech ◽  
Acoustic Characteristics ◽  
Frequency Distributions ◽  
Fundamental Frequencies ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Short Time ◽  
Nerve Block Anesthesia

The acoustic characteristics of continuous speech produced by an adult male talker with and without oral (nerve block) anesthesia were investigated using digital speech processing procedures. Vowel-to-consonant ratios, long-time and short-time spectra, fundamental frequency distributions, phonation-time ratios, and rate of utterances were calculated and compared for the normal and anesthetized conditions. The results showed that the speech produced without oral sensation was characterized by a reduction and shift of high-frequency energy, temporal disorganization primarily manifested as prolongation of utterance, and higher and more variable fundamental frequencies. The study also demonstrated applicability of computer techniques on general acoustic analysis of continuous speech.

Formant frequency characteristics in Palestinian Arabic-speaking aphasics

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 313-328
Author(s):  
Hisham Adam
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Applications ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Formant Frequency ◽  
The West ◽  
Acoustic Characteristics ◽  
Formant Frequencies ◽  
Short Vowels ◽  
Vowel Space ◽  
Palestinian Arabic ◽  
Arabic Speaking

The aim of this paper is to examine the acoustic characteristics of Arabic vowels as produced by Palestinian Arabic-speaking Broca’s aphasics compared to normal speakers. Five subjects diagnosed with Broca’s aphasia and five normal speakers residing in the West Bank participated in this study. The subjects produced 240 vowel tokens of the eight Arabic vowels (/i:/, /i/, /e:/, /a:/, /a/, /o:/, /u:/ and /u/,). The samples were analyzed using PRAAT and the formants F1 and F2 of the eight Arabic vowels were measured. F1 and F2 values were compared to the data in the literature. Comparisons among speakers of Palestinian Arabic indicated that Broca’s aphasics’ formant frequencies were significantly different to those of normal speakers, showing that formant frequencies of F1 and F2 are generally higher among Broca’s aphasics compared to the control group. Furthermore, the findings reveal that the acoustic vowel space of Broca’s aphasics is more centralized compared to the control subjects. The results also indicate that Broca’s aphasics were able to maintain the phonemic contrast between the long and short vowels. In general, the results may contribute to neurolinguistic research across different languages, especially given that Palestinian Arabic is studied significantly less than other Arabic dialects. Furthermore, the results may have clinical applications when evaluating and/or treating Palestinian Arabic-speaking Broca’s aphasics.

The Accuracy of Formant Frequency Measurements

1983 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Randall B. Monsen ◽  
A. Maynard Engebretson
Keyword(s):  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Linear Prediction ◽  
Synthetic Speech ◽  
Formant Frequency ◽  
Prediction Analysis ◽  
Formant Frequencies ◽  
The Third ◽  
Fundamental Frequencies ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Linear Prediction Analysis

The accuracy of spectrographic techniques and of linear prediction analysis in measuring formant frequencies is compared. The first three formant frequencies 90 synthetic speech tokens were measured by three experienced spectrographic readers and by linear prediction analysis. For fundamental frequencies between 100 and 300 Hz, both methods are accurate to within approximatey , ±60 Hz for both first and second formants. The third formant can be measured with the same degree of accuracy by linear prediction, but only to within ± 110 by spectrographic means. The accuracy of both methods decreases greatly when fundamental frequency is 350 Hz or greater. These limits of measurement appear to be within the range of the difference limens for formant frequencies

Acoustic properties of vowels in Upper Necaxa Totonac

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Michelle García-Vega ◽  
Benjamin V. Tucker
Keyword(s):  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
River Valley ◽  
Acoustic Properties ◽  
Vowel Quality ◽  
Vowel Length ◽  
Acoustic Characteristics ◽  
Acoustic Data ◽  
Formant Frequencies ◽  
Second Formant

Upper Necaxa Totonac is a Totonacan language spoken in the Necaxa River valley in the Sierra Norte of Puebla State, Mexico. While the Totonacan languages historically have three phonemic vowel qualities, the Upper Necaxa system consists of five vowels that contrast length and laryngealization. With acoustic data from six native speakers from the Totonacan communities of Patla and Chicontla, we explore the phonetic properties of vowels with respect to the first and second formant frequencies, quantity (duration), vowel phonation (modal vs. laryngeal), and stress. The data indicate that long, short, modal and laryngeal vowels occupy a similar formant space and that duration is the primary phonetic correlate of phonemic vowel length. A shift in vowel quality and an increase in duration and pitch were shown to be the acoustic characteristics of stress. The study provides a first acoustic analysis of vowels in Upper Necaxa, and contributes to typological descriptions of the properties of vowels connected with quality, quantity, stress, and phonation.

scholarly journals Nuevos métodos y resultados del anális espectral de cinco fricativas inglesas

1996 ◽  
pp. 131
Author(s):  
Silvia Carmen Barreiro Bilbao
Keyword(s):  
Spectral Characteristics ◽  
Spectral Peak ◽  
Clear Indication ◽  
Acoustic Characteristics ◽  
Formant Frequencies

<span class="titulo">This paper reports on a number of experiments carried out in order to describe the spectral characteristics of five English fricatives uttered in isolation and on a study of the influence on the spectrum of two variables, "subject" and "articulation". 7 male speakers with R.P. pronunciation were used as informants, producing 200 stimuli (40 per fricative). The material was analysed with a sonograph KAY 5500. As well as throwing new light on the spectral peak/formant frequencies and amplitudes there is a clear indication in evidence of the influence the aboye variables have on the spectrum of the fricatives. The results also show the intrinsic acoustic characteristics of each sound and their relationships with others. The data is presented in tables and illustrative graphs.</span>

scholarly journals Thai Tones Produced by Tonal and Nontonal Language Speakers: An Acoustic Study

MANUSYA ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chommanad Intajamornrak
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
High Tone ◽  
Connected Speech ◽  
Acoustic Characteristics ◽  
Tonal Language ◽  
Fundamental Frequencies ◽  
Acoustic Study ◽  
Low Tone ◽  
Citation Form

The purpose of this paper was to analyze the acoustic characteristics of Thai tones produced by tonal language speakers, namely Vietnamese and Burmese, and non-tonal language speakers, namely Khmer and Malay, in citation form and connected speech. The test words in citation form and connected speech comprised five tones, which were the Mid tone, the Low tone, the Falling tone, the High tone, and the Rising tone occurring in non-checked and checked syllables. The informants were twenty-four Vietnamese, Burmese, Khmer, and Malay native speakers with high experience in Thai (three speakers for each language) and low experience in Thai (three speakers for each language). The informants’ speech was recorded directly on to a computer. The fundamental frequencies (F0) of tones were measured using Praat Version 5.1.43 and then converted to semitones.

scholarly journals Are attractive female voices really best characterized by feminine fundamental and formant frequencies?

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Schild ◽  
David R. Feinberg ◽  
David Puts ◽  
Julia Jünger ◽  
Vanessa Fasolt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Small Sample ◽  
Acoustic Characteristics ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Women's Voices ◽  
Formant Frequencies ◽  
Female Voices ◽  
Attractive Female ◽  
Larger Sample ◽  
Vocal Attractiveness

Research into the characteristics of attractive women’s voices has focused almost exclusively on associations with fundamental or formant frequencies. A recent study of a small sample of voices used a bottom-up approach to identify acoustic characteristics associated with women’s vocal attractiveness, finding that many acoustic characteristics other than fundamental or formant frequencies predicted women’s vocal attractiveness. Here we will replicate their methodology with a much larger sample of voices (N = 450) in order to identify vocal characteristics that reliably predict women’s vocal attractiveness. Identifying such traits will provide new insights into and avenues for study of the possible function of vocal attractiveness.

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