What Makes Spanish-Accented English Sound Spanish-Accented? Acoustic Measures and Listener Cues

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 187
Author(s):  
Amee P. Shah
Keyword(s):  
Voice Onset Time ◽  
Rank Order ◽  
Onset Time ◽  
Vowel Duration ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
Temporal Differences ◽  
Acoustic Measures ◽  
Closure Duration ◽  
Accented English ◽  
Temporal Measures

This study aimed to understand which acoustic parameters of Spanish-accented English are correlated with listeners’ perception of Spanish-accentedness. Temporal differences were analyzed in multisyllabic target words spoken in sentences by 22 Spanish speakers of English and five native speakers of American English (AE). Recordings were presented to AE listeners who judged the degree of accentedness on a 9-point scale. Spearman rank order correlation showed that the listeners’ ratings of degree of accentedness in sentences correlated strongly (r= +0.82) with those in words. Listeners’ ratings of accentedness correlated in varying degrees with various temporal measures, namely Overall word durations (+0.04 to +0.56), Stressed/unstressed vowel duration ratios (–0.01 to +0.35), Voice Onset Time of stops (+0.26 to +0.36), and, closure duration (+0.29 to +0.59). Results suggest that Spanish-accented English is characterized by systematic temporal differences from native AE, and that these temporal differences contribute to the perception of accentedness. Implications of findings in improving theoretical understanding and applied practices are discussed.

A Comparison of Temporal Measures of Speech Using Spectrograms and Digital Oscillograms

1986 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 270-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce L. Smith ◽  
James Hillenbrand ◽  
Dennis Ingrisano
Keyword(s):  
Voice Onset Time ◽  
Onset Time ◽  
Vowel Duration ◽  
Temporal Differences ◽  
Closure Duration ◽  
Temporal Features ◽  
Temporal Measures

To determine whether any systematic differences occur as a result of using spectrograms versus digital oscillograms to make durational measurements, a number of temporal features (e.g., voice onset time, vowel duration, and consonant closure duration) for 3 speakers were independently measured by 2 different investigators. Both experimenters measured the same intervals with conventional spectrograms and with digital oscillograms, separated by at least a 2-week interval. Oscillograms tended to reveal slightly longer vowel durations and more voicing during consonant closure, while spectrograms evidenced slightly longer consonant closure durations. In general, variations between the two types of instrumentation were no more than 8 to 10 ms and are, therefore, of primary consequence only for studies in which quite small temporal differences are critical.

Temporal Acoustic Measures of Dysarthria Associated with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

1987 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony J. Caruso ◽  
Estelle Klasner Burton
Keyword(s):  
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ◽  
Voice Onset Time ◽  
Onset Time ◽  
Vowel Duration ◽  
Physiological Mechanisms ◽  
Acoustic Measures ◽  
Monosyllabic Words ◽  
Intelligible Speech ◽  
Broadband Sound ◽  
Lateral Sclerosis

The purpose of this study was to investigate stop-gap duration, voice onset time (VOT), and vowel duration in intelligible speakers with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Broadband sound spectrograms were used to measure 8 normal and 8 ALS speakers' intelligible speech productions of monosyllabic words containing word-initial stop-plosive consonants (/p, t, k, b, d, g/). Significant differences were found between the two groups for both vowel duration and stop-gap duration; moreover, correlational analysis indicated that the ALS speakers, as a group, exhibited a direct relationship between stop-gap and vowel durations associated with productions of /t/ and /k/. No significant differences were found between the two talker groups for VOT. Results will be related to the neuroanatomical and physiological mechanisms involved in dysarthric (ALS) speech.

scholarly journals Temporal acoustic correlates of the voicing contrast in European Portuguese stops

2010 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 261-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marisa Lousada ◽  
Luis M. T. Jesus ◽  
Andreia Hall
Keyword(s):  
Voice Onset Time ◽  
Onset Time ◽  
Temporal Analysis ◽  
Acoustic Properties ◽  
Vowel Duration ◽  
Language Therapy ◽  
Acoustic Correlates ◽  
Voicing Contrast ◽  
European Portuguese ◽  
Closure Duration

This study focuses on the temporal analysis of stops /p b t d k ɡ/ and devoicing analysis of voiced stops /b d ɡ/ produced in different word positions by six native speakers of European Portuguese. The study explores acoustic properties related to voicing. The following acoustic properties were measured: voice onset time (VOT), stop duration, closure duration, release duration, voicing into closure duration, duration of the preceding vowel and duration of the following vowel. Results suggested that when [b d ɡ] were devoiced, the acoustic properties stop duration, closure duration, duration of the following vowel, duration of the preceding vowel and duration of voicing into closure were relevant for the voicing distinction. Implications for research and practice in speech and language therapy are discussed. Further investigation is needed to find how the productions analysed in the present study were perceived by listeners, specifically productions of devoiced stops.

Relation between voice‐onset time and vowel duration

1979 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 654-662 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert F. Port ◽  
Rosemarie Rotunno
Keyword(s):  
Voice Onset Time ◽  
Onset Time ◽  
Vowel Duration

scholarly journals Phonetic structures of Turkish Kabardian

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 159-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Gordon ◽  
Ayla Applebaum
Keyword(s):  
Voice Onset Time ◽  
Spectral Characteristics ◽  
Onset Time ◽  
Aerodynamic Characteristics ◽  
Rare Type ◽  
Place Of Articulation ◽  
Short Vowels ◽  
Closure Duration ◽  
Phonetic Study ◽  
Phonetic Realization

This paper reports results of a quantitative phonetic study of Kabardian, a Northwest Caucasian language that is of typological interest from a phonetic standpoint. A number of cross-linguistically rare properties are examined. These features include the phonetic realization of Kabardian's small vowel inventory, which contains only three contrastive vowel qualities (two short vowels and one long vowel), spectral characteristics of the ten supralaryngeal voiceless fricatives of Kabardian, as well as the acoustic, palatographic, and aerodynamic characteristics of ejective fricatives, an extremely rare type of segment cross-linguistically. In addition, basic properties of the consonant stop series are explored, including closure duration and voice onset time, in order to test postulated universals linking these properties to place of articulation and laryngeal setting.

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.

Comparative Acoustic Analyses of L2 English: The Search for Systematic Variation

Phonetica ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 77 (6) ◽  
pp. 441-479
Author(s):  
Rebecca Laturnus
Keyword(s):  
Voice Onset Time ◽  
Nonnative Speakers ◽  
Onset Time ◽  
Native English Speakers ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Vowel Duration ◽  
Language Background ◽  
Accented Speech ◽  
Foreign Accents ◽  
Acoustic Analyses

<b><i>Background/Aims:</i></b> Previous research has shown that exposure to multiple foreign accents facilitates adaptation to an untrained novel accent. One explanation is that L2 speech varies systematically such that there are commonalities in the productions of nonnative speakers, regardless of their language background. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A systematic acoustic comparison was conducted between 3 native English speakers and 6 nonnative accents. Voice onset time, unstressed vowel duration, and formant values of stressed and unstressed vowels were analyzed, comparing each nonnative accent to the native English talkers. A subsequent perception experiment tests what effect training on regionally accented voices has on the participant’s comprehension of nonnative accented speech to investigate the importance of within-speaker variation on attunement and generalization. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Data for each measure show substantial variability across speakers, reflecting phonetic transfer from individual L1s, as well as substantial inconsistency and variability in pronunciation, rather than commonalities in their productions. Training on native English varieties did not improve participants’ accuracy in understanding nonnative speech. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> These findings are more consistent with a hypothesis of accent attune­ment wherein listeners track general patterns of nonnative speech rather than relying on overlapping acoustic signals between speakers.

scholarly journals Categorization of regional and foreign accent in 5- to 7-year-old British children

2009 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 366-375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Floccia ◽  
Joseph Butler ◽  
Frédérique Girard ◽  
Jeremy Goslin
Keyword(s):  
Voice Onset Time ◽  
Onset Time ◽  
Old French ◽  
Foreign Accent ◽  
Connected Speech ◽  
British English ◽  
Acoustic Measures ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Vowel Formants ◽  
Better Than

This study examines children's ability to detect accent-related information in connected speech. British English children aged 5 and 7 years old were asked to discriminate between their home accent from an Irish accent or a French accent in a sentence categorization task. Using a preliminary accent rating task with adult listeners, it was first verified that the level of accentedness was similar across the two unfamiliar accents. Results showed that whereas the younger children group behaved just above chance level in this task, the 7-year-old group could reliably distinguish between these variations of their own language, but were significantly better at detecting the foreign accent than the regional accent. These results extend and replicate a previous study (Girard, Floccia, & Goslin, 2008) in which it was found that 5-year-old French children could detect a foreign accent better than a regional accent. The factors underlying the relative lack of awareness for a regional accent as opposed to a foreign accent in childhood are discussed, especially the amount of exposure, the learnability of both types of accents, and a possible difference in the amount of vowels versus consonants variability, for which acoustic measures of vowel formants and plosives voice onset time are provided.

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