scholarly journals F2 slope as a Perceptual Cue for the Front–Back Contrast in Standard Southern British English

2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 377-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kateřina Chládková ◽  
Silke Hamann ◽  
Daniel Williams ◽  
Sam Hellmuth
Keyword(s):  
Acoustic Measurements ◽  
British English ◽  
Vowel Space ◽  
Second Formant ◽  
High Vowels ◽  
Abstract Feature ◽  
Slope Direction

Acoustic studies of several languages indicate that second-formant (F2) slopes in high vowels have opposing directions (independent of consonantal context): front [iː]-like vowels are produced with a rising F2 slope, whereas back [uː]-like vowels are produced with a falling F2 slope. The present study first reports acoustic measurements that confirm this pattern for the English variety of Standard Southern British English (SSBE), where /uː/ has shifted from the back to the front area of the vowel space and is now realized with higher midpoint F2 values than several decades ago. Subsequently, we test whether the direction of F2 slope also serves as a reliable cue to the /iː/-/uː/ contrast in perception. The findings show that F2 slope direction is used as a cue (additional to midpoint formant values) to distinguish /iː/ from /uː/ by both young and older Standard Southern British English listeners: an otherwise ambiguous token is identified as /iː/ if it has a rising F2 slope and as /uː/ if it has a falling F2 slope. Furthermore, our results indicate that listeners generalize their reliance on F2 slope to other contrasts, namely /ɛ/-/ɒ/ and /æ/-/ɒ/, even though F2 slope is not employed to differentiate these vowels in production. This suggests that in Standard Southern British English, a rising F2 seems to be perceptually associated with an abstract feature such as [+front], whereas a falling F2 with an abstract feature such as [-front].

scholarly journals On pre-stressed high vowels raising process in brazilian portuguese

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-157
Author(s):  
Dinah Callou ◽  
Luana Machado
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Rio De Janeiro ◽  
Brazilian Portuguese ◽  
Acoustic Measurements ◽  
Conditioning Factors ◽  
Second Formant ◽  
High Vowels

This paper discusses the hypothesis that the outputs of derived pre-stressed high vowels [i] and [u], in Brazilian Portuguese, are acoustically different from the outputs of the non-derived high vowels, although both are perceptually equivalent. The sample totalizes 1152 tokens extracted from a controlled corpus, recorded at the Phonetic Laboratory of Rio de Janeiro Federal University (UFRJ), with eight university graduate students, four men and four women, from Rio de Janeiro, using acoustic measurements (PRAAT) and multivariational analysis (GOLDVARB X) in order to detect the conditioning factors related to the first and second formant values. The results reveal differences between underlying and derived vowels.

Monophthongal vowel changes in Received Pronunciation: an acoustic analysis of the Queen's Christmas broadcasts

2000 ◽  
Vol 30 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 63-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Harrington ◽  
Sallyanne Palethorpe ◽  
Catherine Watson
Keyword(s):  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
Formant Frequency ◽  
Vowel Space ◽  
Time Periods ◽  
Second Formant ◽  
High Vowels ◽  
Received Pronunciation ◽  
Over Time

In this paper we analyse the extent to which an adult's vowel space is affected by vowel changes to the community using a database of nine Christmas broadcasts made by Queen Elizabeth II spanning three time periods (the 1950's; the late 1960's/early 70's; the 1980's). An analysis of the monophthongal formant space showed that the first formant frequency was generally higher for open vowels, and lower for mid-high vowels in the 1960's and 1980's data than in the 1950's data, which we interpret as an expansion of phonetic height from earlier to later years. The second formant frequency showed a more modest compression in later, compared with earlier years: in general, front vowels had a decreased F2 in later years, while F2 of the back vowels was unchanged except for [u] which had a higher F2 in the 1960's and 1980's data. We also show that the majority of these Fl and F2 changes were in the direction of the vowel positions of 1980's Standard Southern British speakers reported in Deterding (1997). Our general conclusion is that there is evidence of accent change within the same individual over time and that the Queen's vowels in the Christmas broadcasts have shifted in the direction of a more mainstream form of Received Pronunciation.

scholarly journals ACOUSTIC MEASUREMENT ON VOWEL PRODUCTION OF ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE BY INDONESIAN EFL LEARNERS

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 71
Author(s):  
Rudha Widagsa ◽  
Ahmad Agung Yuwono Putro
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
English Language ◽  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
First Language ◽  
English Language Teaching ◽  
British English ◽  
Formant Frequencies ◽  
English Vowels ◽  
Second Formant

Indonesian is the most widely spoken language in Indonesia. More than 200 million people speak the language as a first language. However, acoustic study on Indonesian learners of English (ILE) production remains untouched. The purpose of this measurement is to examine the influence of first language (L1) on English vowels production as a second language (L2). Based on perceptual magnet hypothesis (PMH), ILE were predicted to produce close sounds to L1 English where the vowels are similar to Indonesian vowels. Acoustic analysis was conducted to measure the formant frequencies. This study involved five males of Indonesian speakers aged between 20-25 years old. The data of British English native speakers were taken from previous study by Hawkins & Midgley (2005). The result illustrates that the first formant frequencies (F1) which correlates to the vowel hight of Indonesian Learners of English were significantly different from the corresponding frequencies of British English vowels. Surprisingly, the significant differences in second formant (F2) of ILE were only in the production of /ɑ, ɒ, ɔ/ in which /ɑ/=p 0.002, /ɒ/ =p 0,001, /ɔ/ =p 0,03. The vowel space area of ILE was slightly less spacious than the native speakers. This study is expected to shed light in English language teaching particularly as a foreign language.Keywords: VSA, EFL, Indonesian learners, formant frequencies, acoustic

The Effects of Changes in Hearing Status in Cochlear Implant Users on the Acoustic Vowel Space and CV Coarticulation

2001 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 552-563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harlan Lane ◽  
Melanie Matthies ◽  
Joseph Perkell ◽  
Jennell Vick ◽  
Majid Zandipour
Keyword(s):  
Vowel Duration ◽  
Formant Frequency ◽  
Direct Role ◽  
Hearing Status ◽  
Vowel Formant ◽  
Vowel Space ◽  
English Vowels ◽  
Deaf Adults ◽  
Second Formant

In order to examine the role of hearing status in controlling coarticulation, eight English vowels in /bVt/ and /dVt/ syllables, embedded in a carrier phrase, were elicited from 7 postlingually deafened adults and 2 speakers with normal hearing. The deaf adults served in repeated recording sessions both before and up to a year after they received cochlear implants and their speech processors were turned on. Each of the two hearing control speakers served in two recording sessions, separated by about 3 months. Measures were made of second formant frequency at obstruent release and at 25 ms intervals until the final obstruent. An index of coarticulation, based on the ratio of F2 at vowel onset to F2 at midvowel target, was computed. Changes in the amount of coarticulation after the change in hearing status were small and nonsystematic for the /bVt/ syllables; those for the /dVt/ syllables averaged a 3% increase—within the range of reliability measures for the 2 hearing control speakers. Locus equations (F2 at vowel onset vs. F2 at vowel midpoint) and ratios of F2 onsets in point vowels were also calculated. Like the index of coarticulation, these measures tended to confirm that hearing status had little if any effect on coarticulation in the deaf speakers, consistent with the hypothesis that hearing does not play a direct role in regulating anticipatory coarticulation in adulthood. With the restoration of some hearing, 2 implant users significantly increased the average spacing between vowels in the formant plane, whereas the remaining 5 decreased that measure. All speakers but one also reduced vowel duration significantly. Four of the speakers reduced dispersion of vowel formant values around vowel midpoint means, but the other 3 did not show this effect.

An instrumental study of the monophthong vowels of Singapore English

2003 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Deterding
Keyword(s):  
British English ◽  
Comprehensive View ◽  
Instrumental Study ◽  
Vowel Space

The formants of the conversational vowels of five male and five female Singapore English (SgE) speakers are measured and compared with comparable measurements of British English (BrE) in order to gain a comprehensive view of the vowel space of Singaporean speakers and to determine which of the vowel distinctions of BrE are not maintained in SgE. It is found that the distinctions between /iː/ and /ɪ/ and also /e/ and /æ/ are not maintained in SgE, and any distinction between /ɔː/ and /ɒ/ is small. It is also found that SgE /uː/ is more back than BrE /uː/. It is further suggested that the fewer number of vowel contrasts in SgE does not contribute to much loss of intelligibility.

The North Wind versus a Wolf: short texts for the description and measurement of English pronunciation

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Deterding
Keyword(s):  
English Speakers ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Acoustic Measurements ◽  
British English ◽  
The North ◽  
North Wind ◽  
English Pronunciation

For many years, the passage ‘The North Wind and the Sun’ (NWS) has been used for phonetic research into different languages. However, there are many shortcomings with the passage for the description of varieties of English, including the absence of some sounds, such as /[zcy ]/ and syllable-initial /θ/, problems with the text for the measurement of rhythm, and issues regarding acoustic measurements of /æ/ and /I/. An alternative passage, ‘The Boy who Cried Wolf’, is suggested, and measurements of the monophthongs based on recordings of the Wolf passage by three RP British English speakers are compared with similar measurements of the vowels in the NWS passage.

scholarly journals A vowel space comparison of Tlawngrang Zophei and Lawngtlang Zophei

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samson Alexander Lotven ◽  
Kelly Harper Berkson
Keyword(s):  
Research Program ◽  
The Other ◽  
Vowel Space ◽  
High Vowels

Zophei is an undescribed Tibeto-Burman language within the Kuki-Chin family. Originally spoken in the Chin Hills of Western Myanmar, approximately 4,000 Zophei-speaking refugees now live in Central Indiana. No previous research on Zophei exists. The speakers located in Indiana who identify as ethnically Zophei hail from 14 distinct villages, and it is not yet known how many dialects or languages are represented. As part of a larger effort to kick-start a research program on Zophei, the current study presents vowel spaces for two speakers, one from Tlawngrang and one from Lawngtlang. Differences with regard to the number and distribution of high vowels and diphthongs indicate that these two areas speak different varieties with markedly different phonologies. For example, where one speaker has an /ui/ diphthong the other speaker consistently has the front rounded monophthong /y/. This research contributes to our ultimate goal, which is to determine the dialectal make-up of Zophei and to develop a description of the language or languages spoken by the ethnic Zophei population in Indiana.  

Effects of Lexical Meaning and Practiced Productions on Coarticulation in Children’s and Adults’ Speech

1995 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 351-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen A. Siren ◽  
Kim A. Wilcox
Keyword(s):  
Age Groups ◽  
Acoustic Measurements ◽  
Lexical Meaning ◽  
Motor Practice ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Second Formant ◽  
The Individual

This investigation examined the effect of familiarity with a speech target on the magnitude of the coarticulation observed in children (aged 3, 5, and 7 years) and adults. For the purposes of this investigation, coarticulation was defined as the effect that a following vowel, /i/ or /u/, had on the frequency value of the second formant (F2) in the preceding fricative, /s/ or /∫/. Familiarity with the spoken targets was examined through the manipulation of two factors: (a) the presence or absence of lexical meaning and (b) the extent to which speakers were allowed to practice an item prior to recording. Results of acoustic measurements confirm that the children exhibited a greater effect of a following vowel on the preceding fricative when compared to adults. Nonmeaningful production items appeared to exhibit a greater effect of the vowel on the preceding fricative than meaningful production items, regardless of age of the individual. Limited motor practice did not have an effect on degree of fricative-vowel coarticulation in production items for any of the age groups. For the productions in this investigation, the primary coarticulatory effect was intrasyllabic.

Effects of Exposure and Vowel Space Distribution on Phonetic Drift: Evidence from American English Learners of French

2017 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Lang ◽  
Lisa Davidson
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
English Learners ◽  
American English ◽  
Space Distribution ◽  
L2 Acquisition ◽  
Vowel Space ◽  
High Vowels ◽  
Study Abroad Program ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Vowel Categories

Recent work by Chang has shown that even at the very earliest stages of second language (L2) acquisition, the phonetic implementation of speakers’ native English phoneme categories is slightly modified by contact with L2 Korean, which is referred to as “phonetic drift.” This study investigates whether rapid phonetic drift generalizes to another pairing of languages. We examined naïve American English learners of French, who were recorded producing both American English and French vowels after one and six weeks of a study abroad program in Paris. In addition, the Study Abroad group is compared with proficient American English L1 speakers of French who have been residents of Paris for at least five years, to investigate the impact of long-term use of an L2 on the vowel categories of L1. Whereas the Study Abroad group showed no evidence of phonetic drift after six weeks, the Paris Residents’ American English vowel space shifted along F1 and several English vowels demonstrated clear movement toward French monolingual norms. A closer look at the high vowels provides insight into how phonetic categories are influenced both by drift and by a pressure to keep vowel categories distinct between the languages. The results are also discussed with respect to potential effects of the size of the vowel inventory and the amount of input required to cause phonetic drift.

scholarly journals The Effects of Language Contact on Non-Native Vowel Sequences in Lexical Borrowings: The Case of Media Lengua

2021 ◽  
pp. 002383092110149
Author(s):  
Sky Onosson ◽  
Jesse Stewart
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Models ◽  
Language Contact ◽  
Vowel Formant ◽  
Vowel Space ◽  
Sequence Patterns ◽  
Generalized Additive Mixed Models ◽  
Additive Mixed Models ◽  
Acoustic Space ◽  
The Difference ◽  
High Vowels

Media Lengua (ML), a mixed language derived from Quichua and Spanish, exhibits a phonological system that largely conforms to that of Quichua acoustically. Yet, it incorporates a large number of vowel sequences from Spanish which do not occur in the Quichua system. This includes the use of mid-vowels, which are phonetically realized in ML as largely overlapping with the high-vowels in acoustic space. We analyze and compare production of vowel sequences by speakers of ML, Quichua, and Spanish through the use of generalized additive mixed models to determine statistically significant differences between vowel formant trajectories. Our results indicate that Spanish-derived ML vowel sequences frequently differ significantly from their Spanish counterparts, largely occupying a more central region of the vowel space and frequently exhibiting markedly reduced trajectories over time. In contrast, we find only one case where an ML vowel sequence differs significantly from its Quichua counterpart—and even in this case the difference from Spanish is substantially greater. Our findings show how the vowel system of ML successfully integrates novel vowel sequence patterns from Spanish into what is essentially Quichua phonology by markedly adapting their production, while still maintaining contrasts which are not expressed in Quichua.

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