Phonetics: Articulatory Phonetics and Voice

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Questions and Answers

Briefly explain the difference between articulatory, acoustic, and auditory phonetics.

Articulatory phonetics studies the production of speech sounds, acoustic phonetics studies the physical properties of speech sounds, and auditory phonetics studies how speech sounds are perceived.

Describe the four key processes involved in the production of speech.

The four processes involved in speech production are: initiation, phonation, resonation, and articulation.

What is the primary goal of articulatory phonetics?

The primary goal is to relate linguistic representations to articulator movements in real time and the acoustic output that makes speech a medium for information transfer.

Why is it important to have a consistent method for describing articulatory properties of speech?

Efficient and consistent description of articulatory properties is important to distinguish sounds used contrastively in language. Signup and view all the answers

How does the dynamic nature of speech production complicate its study?

The dynamic nature complicates the study because it requires understanding how articulators are coordinated for individual sounds and sequences. Signup and view all the answers

Define 'initiation' as it relates to the production of speech.

Initiation refers to setting air in motion through the vocal tract. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the role of 'phonation' in speech production.

Phonation is the modification of airflow as it passes through the larynx, related to voicing. Signup and view all the answers

In articulatory phonetics, what does 'articulation' refer to?

Articulation is the shaping of airflow to generate particular sound types. Signup and view all the answers

Briefly explain the fundamental challenge in articulatory phonetics concerning speech production, as highlighted in the initial paragraph.

The core challenge is determining to what extent speech production stems from the physical mechanisms involved versus the nature of the linguistic representations. Signup and view all the answers

Describe how instrumental techniques aid in resolving the challenge mentioned in the first question.

Instrumental techniques help differentiate physical and linguistic contributions to speech by allowing researchers to track articulators and analyze speech production in detail. Signup and view all the answers

What are the three parameters used to describe consonant sounds?

The three parameters are voice, place, and manner. Signup and view all the answers

Articulatory phonetics uses the term 'voice' to describe consonant sounds. What are the two categories a sound can fit into based on voicing?

Voiced and voiceless. Signup and view all the answers

How can one determine if a sound is voiced, according to the text?

By placing fingers on the neck and feeling for a vibrating sensation while producing the sound. Signup and view all the answers

Define 'active articulator' and 'passive articulator'.

The active articulator is the part of the vocal tract that moves towards another articulator during speech production. The passive articulator remains stationary and is often the target of the active articulator's movement. Signup and view all the answers

Give one example of a place of articulation and briefly describe it.

Endolabial: sounds produced where the upper teeth are pressed against the inside of the lower lip. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the difference between voiced and voiceless sounds, and give one example of each.

Voiced sounds involve vocal fold vibration (e.g., /b/), while voiceless sounds do not (e.g., /s/). Signup and view all the answers

Explain how spectral analysis can be used to understand the components of human speech.

Spectral analysis decomposes complex speech waveforms into simple sine waves, revealing the different frequencies present. This helps identify the fundamental frequency (pitch) and formants (vowel qualities), providing insights into speech production. Signup and view all the answers

Describe the relationship between the physical properties of a sound wave (intensity, frequency, duration) and their perceptual correlates (loudness, pitch, tempo).

Intensity corresponds to loudness, frequency corresponds to pitch, and duration corresponds to tempo. Higher intensity is perceived as louder, higher frequency as higher pitch, and longer duration as slower tempo. Signup and view all the answers

How do formants contribute to our ability to distinguish between different vowel sounds?

Formants are energy peaks resulting from vocal tract resonances. Their specific frequencies and patterns differentiate vowel sounds, allowing us to perceive and distinguish them. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the difference between a sine wave and a complex wave in terms of their composition and how they relate to real-world sounds.

A sine wave is a simple, single-frequency wave, while a complex wave is a combination of multiple sine waves. Real-world sounds are typically complex waves, while sine waves are idealized representations. Signup and view all the answers

Describe how the vibration of the larynx contributes to the fundamental frequency ($f0$) of speech.

The vibration of the vocal folds within the larynx creates a periodic sound wave. The rate of this vibration determines the fundamental frequency ($f0$), which is perceived as the pitch of the voice. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the role of acoustics in the field of acoustic phonetics.

Acoustics is the broader scientific study of sound. Acoustic phonetics applies acoustic principles and methods to analyze and describe the physical properties of speech sounds, linking sound production to perception. Signup and view all the answers

If a sound wave has a high intensity, how would this be perceived differently than a sound wave with low intensity?

A sound wave with high intensity would be perceived as louder than a sound wave with low intensity. Intensity directly relates to the perceived loudness of a sound. Signup and view all the answers

How would increasing the cycles per second of a sound wave affect the listener's perception of the sound?

Increasing the cycles per second (frequency) of a sound wave would cause the listener to perceive a higher pitch. Frequency is directly related to our perception of pitch. Signup and view all the answers

How does the position of the velum differ during the production of a plosive versus a nasal sound, and what effect does this have on airflow?

During plosives, the velum is raised, preventing airflow through the nasal cavity. During nasals, the velum is lowered, allowing airflow through the nasal cavity. Signup and view all the answers

Describe the articulatory difference between fricatives and approximants, focusing on the distance between the articulators and the resulting airflow.

In fricatives, the articulators are close together causing turbulent airflow. In approximants, the articulators are closer, but the distance is wide enough that airflow is not turbulent. Signup and view all the answers

What is the defining characteristic of 'stop articulations', and what are the two categories based on airflow?

Stop articulations involve a complete closure in the vocal tract. They are categorized as either plosives (oral airflow) or nasals (nasal airflow). Signup and view all the answers

Explain how vowels are described differently from consonants in terms of articulatory features.

Vowels are described based on the vertical and horizontal position of the tongue, as well as lip position, whereas consonants are primarily described by place and manner of articulation. Signup and view all the answers

Define 'exolabial' sounds and give a hypothetical example of how this articulation might be used (even if not a standard English sound).

Exolabial sounds are produced by pressing the upper teeth against the outer side of the lower lip. A hypothetical example might be making a /f/ sound but with the upper teeth further out on the lower lip. Signup and view all the answers

Compare and contrast plosives and fricatives, focusing on the degree of obstruction in the vocal tract and its effect on airflow.

Plosives involve a complete closure of the vocal tract, completely stopping airflow temporarily. Fricatives involve a narrow constriction, creating turbulent airflow but not a complete stop. Signup and view all the answers

The sounds /p, b, m/ are all bilabial. What is the difference in manner of articulation that distinguishes each sound?

/p/ and /b/ are bilabial plosives (oral stop), while /m/ is a bilabial nasal (nasal stop). /p/ is voiceless, and /b/ is voiced. Signup and view all the answers

Describe the movement of air in the vocal tract during the production of vowels.

Vowels are made with a free passage of airflow down the mid-line of the vocal tract. They are usually voiced and are produced without friction. Signup and view all the answers

How do the overtone structures contribute to our perception of different vowel sounds?

The overtone structure gives each vowel sound its distinctive quality, allowing us to differentiate between them. Signup and view all the answers

Explain why whispering vowels allows you to perceive their overtones more distinctly. What does this show you?

Whispering removes the fundamental pitch, making the characteristic overtones of each vowel more prominent and distinguishable. Signup and view all the answers

Describe the relationship between tongue position and pitch when whistling high and low notes, connecting it to specific vowel sounds.

When whistling a high note, the tongue position resembles that of the vowel [i], while a low note corresponds to the [u] vowel position. Signup and view all the answers

What are formants, and how do they relate to the characteristic overtones of vowels?

Formants are characteristic overtones that distinguish vowels, with the first formant (F1) being the lower of the two main overtones. Signup and view all the answers

Explain how the first formant (F1) changes as you pronounce the series of vowels: heed, hid, head, had, hod, hawed, hood, who'd.

The first formant (F1) increases in frequency from heed to had, and then decreases from hod to who'd. Signup and view all the answers

How can understanding formant frequencies assist in speech therapy or language learning?

Understanding formant frequencies can enable targeted exercises to correct vowel pronunciation or to accurately mimic new sounds in language acquisition. Signup and view all the answers

Describe how formant frequencies might vary between speakers with different vocal tract sizes (e.g., adults vs. children).

Speakers with smaller vocal tracts (e.g., children) tend to have higher formant frequencies compared to those with larger vocal tracts (e.g., adults). Signup and view all the answers

If two different vowels have very similar first formant (F1) frequencies but distinct second formant (F2) frequencies, explain how listeners would perceive them.

Listeners would perceive the two vowels as distinct sounds, with the difference primarily in their frontness or backness, as F2 relates to the tongue's front/back position. Signup and view all the answers

Explain how the size and shape of the vocal tract influence the production of different vowel sounds and their corresponding formants.

The vocal tract's size and shape create resonating cavities. Smaller cavities produce higher-pitched formants, and vice versa, due to different patterns of air vibration. Signup and view all the answers

Describe how formants appear in a spectrum and a spectrogram, respectively. What visual cues indicate their presence?

In a spectrum, formants appear as maxima or peaks in the frequency distribution. In a spectrogram, they are represented by darker shaded bands indicating areas of greater acoustic energy. Signup and view all the answers

Explain why formants are considered a feature of the vocal tract rather than the sound source. Provide an example to illustrate this concept.

Formants are determined by the vocal tract's resonance, independent of the sound source. For instance, shaping the mouth into an [o] and tapping the cheek can produce the [o] sound due to vocal tract resonance, even without vocal fold vibration. Signup and view all the answers

How could you distinguish the vowel sounds in the words "bed" and "bad" using a spectrogram, based on their formant frequencies?

The vowel in "bed" would likely have a lower F1 frequency compared to the vowel in "bad", while F2 might also differ, reflecting the articulatory differences in vowel height and backness. Signup and view all the answers

What does the second formant (F2) usually indicate about vowel articulation?

The second formant (F2) is primarily related to the frontness or backness of a vowel. High F2 means the vowel is front, whereas low F2 means the vowel is back. Signup and view all the answers

Explain why blowing across the top of different sized bottles produces different pitches in terms of air vibration and resonance.

Smaller bottles have smaller bodies of air, which vibrate at higher frequencies, producing higher pitches, while larger bottles have larger bodies of air, which vibrate at lower frequencies, producing lower pitches. Signup and view all the answers

In speech analysis, if you observe a high F1 and a high F2, what type of vowel is likely being produced, and why?

A high F1 indicates an open vowel (low tongue position), and a high F2 suggests a front vowel. These features are characteristic of vowels like [] (as in "bad"). Signup and view all the answers

Describe how the concept of vocal tract resonance relates to the production of different vowel sounds. Use the example of the vowel [o] to illustrate.

Vocal tract resonance involves the selective amplification of certain frequencies based on the vocal tract's shape. When forming [o], the vocal tract's shape reinforces specific frequencies which make [o] distinctive sound. Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Phonetics

The branch of linguistics studying speech sounds production and perception.

Articulatory Phonetics

The study of how speech sounds are produced using vocal tract organs.