Language-specific realizations of syllable structure and vowel-to-vowel coarticulation. 2010

P K Peggy Mok
Department of Linguistics, University of Cambridge, Sidgwick Avenue, Cambridge CB3 9DA, United Kingdom. peggymok@cuhk.edu.hk

This paper investigates the effects of syllable structure on vowel-to-vowel (V-to-V) coarticulation using Thai and English data. Languages differ in syllable complexity and their realizations of syllable structure. It was hypothesized that languages with complex syllable structure (English) would allow more V-to-V coarticulation than languages with simple syllable structure (Thai). Onset and coda consonants are different acoustically, articulatorily, typologically and perceptually. Onsets are generally 'stronger' and more stable than codas because they are longer, louder, and involve tighter articulatory constrictions. It was hypothesized that closed syllables (that end in a consonant C, i.e., VC#V) would allow more V-to-V coarticulation than open syllables (V#CV). /C(1)V(1)#C(2)V(2)/ and /C(1)V(1)C(2)#V(2)t/ sequences were recorded from six native speakers in Thai and six in English. First and second formant frequencies were measured. Results show that English allows more V-to-V coarticulation than Thai regardless of the intervocalic duration and vowel quality difference, but open and closed syllables only affect V-to-V coarticulation minimally. In addition to syllable structure, other possible factors contributing to the language difference in V-to-V coarticulation are discussed.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007802 Language A verbal or nonverbal means of communicating ideas or feelings. Dialect,Dialects,Languages
D008297 Male Males
D010700 Phonetics The science or study of speech sounds and their production, transmission, and reception, and their analysis, classification, and transcription. (Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2d ed) Speech Sounds,Sound, Speech,Sounds, Speech,Speech Sound
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013018 Sound Spectrography The graphic registration of the frequency and intensity of sounds, such as speech, infant crying, and animal vocalizations. Sonography, Speech,Sonography, Sound,Speech Sonography,Sonographies, Sound,Sound Sonographies,Sound Sonography,Spectrography, Sound
D013061 Speech Acoustics The acoustic aspects of speech in terms of frequency, intensity, and time. Acoustics, Speech,Acoustic, Speech,Speech Acoustic
D013067 Speech Perception The process whereby an utterance is decoded into a representation in terms of linguistic units (sequences of phonetic segments which combine to form lexical and grammatical morphemes). Speech Discrimination,Discrimination, Speech,Perception, Speech
D013068 Speech Production Measurement Measurement of parameters of the speech product such as vocal tone, loudness, pitch, voice quality, articulation, resonance, phonation, phonetic structure and prosody. Measurement, Speech Production,Measurements, Speech Production,Production Measurement, Speech,Production Measurements, Speech,Speech Production Measurements
D013997 Time Factors Elements of limited time intervals, contributing to particular results or situations. Time Series,Factor, Time,Time Factor

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