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Explore the role of articulatory movement in speech sounds such as diphthongs, glides, and liquids. Learn about spectral changes, American English diphthongs, and clinical implications related to tongue configurations in producing sounds.
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Sounds that “move” Diphthongs, glides and liquids
The important role of movement • Articulatory movement = spectral change • Spectral change occurs as speakers transition within and between sound sequences • Spectral change plays a significant role in • Perception of certain speech sounds • Overall speech intelligibility
Diphthongs • Slow gliding (~ 350 msec) between two vowel qualities Components • Onglide- starting point of articulation • Offglide-end point of articulation • Articulatory Transition = formant transition • Diphthongization: articulatory movement within the vowel • Varies by geographic region
American English Diphthongs • // - “bye” • // - “bough” • // - “boy” • // - “bay” • // - “bow”
What cues listeners? (Nábĕlek et al., 1993) Question: • What spectral temporal variables contribute to distinction of // vs. //? • Does the quality of listening environment or hearing ability of the listener influence those factors? Control variables • Rate (Hz/msec) and Duration (msec) of formant transition Results • // is perceived for • ↓ transition rates of ↑ duration • ↑ transition rate of ↓ duration
What cues listeners? (Nábĕlek et al., 1993) Results continued, • Ambient noise had a larger effect on • ↑ transition rate, ↓ duration condition • Hearing Impairment differentially affected • ↑ transition rate, ↓ duration condition Conclusion • Fast, short transitions and slow long transitions can both serve to cue listeners to diphthongs • Slow, long transitions are more resistant to • Poor listening environments • HI listeners
diphthong duration vs.speech clarity rating From Tasko & Greilick (2010)
Degree of Constriction Greater than vowels Poral slightly greater than Patmos Less than fricatives Poral for glides/liquids < Poral for fricatives Constriction lasts ~ 100 msec Constriction results in a loss in energy weaker formants Transition rate faster than the diphthongs slower than the stops lasts ~ 75-250 msec Glides (/w/, /j/) & Liquids (/l/, /r/) Associated with 1. high degree of vocal tract constriction 2. articulatory transition
Place: labial Acoustics /u/-like formant frequencies Constriction formant values F1 ~ 330 Hz F2 ~ 730 Hz weak F3 (~ 2300 Hz) /w/ Freq (Hz) 3000 F3 2000 F2 1000 F1 V V w
Place: palatal Acoustics /i/-like formant frequencies F1 ~ 300 Hz F2 ~ 2200 Hz F3 ~ 3000 Hz 3000 F3 2000 F2 1000 F1 V j V /j/ Freq (Hz)
/j/ V j V
Liquids (/l/, /r/) • lateral /l/ • Rhotic /r/ • Pickett (1999) considers these consonants glides as well
Place: palatal Articulatory phonetics Variable tongue positions “bunched” “retroflexed” Allophonic Variations Some suggest “dark” (CV) –very low F3 “light” (VC) –F3 not as low Acoustics Hallmark of /r/ is a low F3 F1 ~ 350 Hz F2 ~ 1050 Hz F3 ~ 1550 Hz Vowels have F3 above 2200 Hz Vowels around /r/ are colored or F3 values lower than usual /r/
/r/ Freq (Hz) 3000 F3 2000 F2 1000 F1 V r V
/r/ “coloring” of vowels // //
Point parameterized representation Retroflexed
Between-speaker variation “row” “row” JW39 tp004 JW45 tp004 Very common
Within-speaker variation: different context “row” “dorm” JW37 tp009 JW37 tp099 Common
Within-speaker variation: same context “right” “right” JW37 tp009 JW37 tp099 Not common, but possible!
N=53 normal speakers Not just two different configurations, but a whole family of possible configuration From Westbury et al. (1998)
How can these vastly different tongue configurations lead to similar acoustic/perceptual consequences?
Summary • There is a wide distribution of articulatory configurations for /r/ • Different articulatory configurations of /r/ are indistinguishable acoustically and perceptually • Different tongue configurations can produce equivalent area functions • Some parts of the area function are more critical than others for determining key acoustic/perceptual effects
Clinical Digression • Clinically, /r/ is a difficult sound for children to learn. • Is there anything from our discussion that might suggest why this might be the case?
Place: alveolar Articulatory phonetics: tongue tip contacts alveolar ridge, splitting the vocal tract Introduces antiformants Acoustics F1 ~ 360 Hz F2 ~ 1300 Hz F3 ~ 2700 Hz F2 is variable and affected by vowel environment Transition often looks more abrupt than other sounds discussed Allophonic variations Light /l/: CV environment Dark /l/: VC environment /l/
/l/ Freq (Hz) 3000 F3 2000 F2 1000 F1 V l V
/l/ V l V