Sounds that “move”Sounds that “move”

Diphthongs, glides and liquidsDiphthongs, glides and liquids

The important role of movementThe important role of movement

Articulatory movementArticulatory movement = = spectral changespectral change

Spectral change occurs as speakers Spectral change occurs as speakers transition within and between sound transition within and between sound sequencessequences

Spectral change plays a significant role inSpectral change plays a significant role inPerception of certain speech soundsPerception of certain speech soundsOverall speech intelligibilityOverall speech intelligibility

DiphthongsDiphthongs Slow gliding (~ 350 msec) between two vowel qualitiesSlow gliding (~ 350 msec) between two vowel qualities

ComponentsComponents OnglideOnglide- - starting point of articulationstarting point of articulation Offglide-Offglide- end point of articulationend point of articulation Articulatory TransitionArticulatory Transition = = formant transitionformant transition

Diphthongization: articulatory movement within the vowelDiphthongization: articulatory movement within the vowel Varies by geographic regionVaries by geographic region

American English DiphthongsAmerican English Diphthongs

/// - “bye”/ - “bye” /// - “bough”/ - “bough” /// - “boy”/ - “boy” /// - “bay”/ - “bay” /// - “bow”/ - “bow”

/// /

/// /

What cues listeners? What cues listeners? (Nábĕlek et al., 1993) (Nábĕlek et al., 1993)

Question: Question: What spectral temporal variables contribute to distinction of /What spectral temporal variables contribute to distinction of // vs. // vs. //?/? Does the quality of listening environment or hearing ability of the listener Does the quality of listening environment or hearing ability of the listener

influence those factors?influence those factors?

Control variablesControl variables Rate (Hz/msec) and Duration (msec) of formant transitionRate (Hz/msec) and Duration (msec) of formant transition

ResultsResults /// is perceived for / is perceived for

↓↓ transition rates of transition rates of ↑↑ duration duration ↑↑ transition rate of transition rate of ↓↓ duration duration

What cues listeners? What cues listeners? (Nábĕlek et al., 1993) (Nábĕlek et al., 1993)

Results continued,Results continued, Ambient noise had a larger effect onAmbient noise had a larger effect on

↑↑ transition rate, transition rate, ↓↓ duration condition duration condition Hearing Impairment differentially affectedHearing Impairment differentially affected ↑↑ transition rate, transition rate, ↓↓ duration condition duration condition

ConclusionConclusion Fast, short transitions and slow long transitions can both Fast, short transitions and slow long transitions can both

serve to cue listeners to diphthongsserve to cue listeners to diphthongs Slow, long transitions are more resistant to Slow, long transitions are more resistant to

Poor listening environmentsPoor listening environments HI listenersHI listeners

r=0.87

-50 0 50 100 150

Clarity Rating

050

10

015

020

025

030

0

dip

hth

ong

dura

tion

From Tasko & Greilick (2010)From Tasko & Greilick (2010)

diphthong duration vs.diphthong duration vs.speech clarity rating speech clarity rating

Glides (/w/, /j/) & Liquids (/l/, /r/)Glides (/w/, /j/) & Liquids (/l/, /r/)

Degree of ConstrictionDegree of Constriction Greater than vowels Greater than vowels

PPoraloral slightly greater than slightly greater than PPatmosatmos

Less than fricativesLess than fricatives PPoraloral for glides/liquids < P for glides/liquids < Poral oral

for fricativesfor fricatives Constriction lasts ~ 100 msecConstriction lasts ~ 100 msec Constriction results in a loss Constriction results in a loss

in energyin energy weaker formantsweaker formants

Transition rateTransition rate faster than the diphthongsfaster than the diphthongs slower than the stopsslower than the stops lasts ~ 75-250 mseclasts ~ 75-250 msec

Associated withAssociated with1. high degree of vocal tract constriction1. high degree of vocal tract constriction2. articulatory transition2. articulatory transition

/w//w/

Place: labialPlace: labial AcousticsAcoustics

/u/-like formant /u/-like formant frequenciesfrequencies

Constriction Constriction formant valuesformant values

F1 ~ 330 HzF1 ~ 330 Hz F2 ~ 730 HzF2 ~ 730 Hz weak F3 weak F3

(~ 2300 Hz)(~ 2300 Hz)V w V

F1

F2

F3

1000

2000

3000

Freq (Hz)

/j//j/

Place: palatalPlace: palatal AcousticsAcoustics

/i/-like formant /i/-like formant frequenciesfrequencies

F1 ~ 300 HzF1 ~ 300 Hz F2 ~ 2200 HzF2 ~ 2200 Hz F3 ~ 3000 HzF3 ~ 3000 Hz

V j V

F1

F2

F3

1000

2000

3000

Freq (Hz)

/j//j/

V j V

Liquids (/l/, /r/)Liquids (/l/, /r/)

laterallateral /l/ /l/RhoticRhotic /r/ /r/Pickett (1999) considers these consonants Pickett (1999) considers these consonants

glides as wellglides as well

/r//r/

Place: palatalPlace: palatal Articulatory phoneticsArticulatory phonetics

Variable tongue positionsVariable tongue positions ““bunched”bunched” ““retroflexed”retroflexed”

Allophonic VariationsAllophonic VariationsSome suggestSome suggest ““dark” (CV) –very low F3dark” (CV) –very low F3 ““light” (VC) –F3 not as lowlight” (VC) –F3 not as low

AcousticsAcoustics Hallmark of /r/ is a low Hallmark of /r/ is a low

F3F3 F1 ~ 350 HzF1 ~ 350 Hz F2 ~ 1050 HzF2 ~ 1050 Hz F3 ~ 1550 HzF3 ~ 1550 Hz Vowels have F3 above Vowels have F3 above

2200 Hz2200 Hz Vowels around /r/ are Vowels around /r/ are

coloredcolored or or F3 values lower than F3 values lower than

usualusual

/r//r/

V r V

F1

F2

F3

1000

2000

3000

Freq (Hz)

Role of F3 transition in /w/ vs. /r/ Role of F3 transition in /w/ vs. /r/ perceptionperception

/r/ “coloring” of vowels/r/ “coloring” of vowels

/// // ///

Articulatory Variability and /r/Articulatory Variability and /r/

Point parameterized representationPoint parameterized representation

BunchedBunched

Point parameterized representationPoint parameterized representation

RetroflexedRetroflexed

Between-speaker variationBetween-speaker variation

“row”

JW39 tp004

“row”

JW45 tp004

Very commonVery common

Within-speaker variation: different Within-speaker variation: different contextcontext

“row”

JW37 tp009

“dorm”

JW37 tp099

CommonCommon

Within-speaker variation: same Within-speaker variation: same contextcontext

“right”

JW37 tp009

“right”

JW37 tp099

Not common, but possible!Not common, but possible!

N=53 normal speakersN=53 normal speakers Not just two different Not just two different

configurations, but a configurations, but a whole family of possible whole family of possible configurationconfiguration

From Westbury et al. (1998)From Westbury et al. (1998)

How can these vastly different How can these vastly different tongue configurations lead to tongue configurations lead to similar acoustic/perceptual similar acoustic/perceptual

consequences?consequences?

SummarySummary

There is a wide distribution of articulatory There is a wide distribution of articulatory configurations for /r/configurations for /r/

Different articulatory configurations of /r/ are Different articulatory configurations of /r/ are indistinguishable acoustically and perceptuallyindistinguishable acoustically and perceptually Different tongue configurations can produce Different tongue configurations can produce

equivalent area functionsequivalent area functions Some parts of the area function are more critical than Some parts of the area function are more critical than

others for determining key acoustic/perceptual effectsothers for determining key acoustic/perceptual effects

Clinical DigressionClinical Digression

Clinically, /r/ is a difficult sound for children Clinically, /r/ is a difficult sound for children to learn.to learn.

Is there anything from our discussion that Is there anything from our discussion that might suggest why this might be the case?might suggest why this might be the case?

/l//l/

Place: alveolarPlace: alveolar Articulatory phonetics:Articulatory phonetics:

tongue tip contacts alveolar tongue tip contacts alveolar ridge, splitting the vocal tractridge, splitting the vocal tract

Introduces antiformantsIntroduces antiformants

AcousticsAcoustics F1 ~ 360 HzF1 ~ 360 Hz F2 ~ 1300 HzF2 ~ 1300 Hz F3 ~ 2700 HzF3 ~ 2700 Hz F2 is variable and affected F2 is variable and affected

by vowel environmentby vowel environment Transition often looks more Transition often looks more

abrupt than other sounds abrupt than other sounds discusseddiscussed

Allophonic variationsAllophonic variations Light /l/:Light /l/:

CV environmentCV environment Dark /l/: Dark /l/:

VC environmentVC environment

/l//l/

V l V

F1

F2

F3

1000

2000

3000

Freq (Hz)

/l//l/

V l V