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Role of formant transitions in the voiced-voiceless distinction for stops
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1974
Year
Onset TimeSpeech KinematicsElectroglottographySpeech SciencePhonologySpeech RecognitionVocal Tract ImagingPhoneticsProsody (Film Studies)Speech Motor ControlLanguage StudiesAcoustic AnalysisHealth SciencesCognitive ScienceSpeech ProductionMorphologyFormant TransitionsProsody (Linguistics)Speech AcousticSpeech CommunicationVoicePrestressed PositionSpeech AcousticsSpeech ProcessingPhonationSpeech PerceptionLinguisticsPrestressed English Plosives
Voicing onset time (VOT) and the presence of a formant transition after voice onset are key acoustic cues distinguishing voiced from voiceless English plosives, with voiced plosives having short VOT and a significant transition, and voiceless plosives having long VOT and completed transitions before voice onset. The study aims to compare the relative contributions of VOT and the presence or absence of a post‑voicing formant transition to the voiced‑voiceless distinction. Synthetic speech experiments were conducted to manipulate VOT and formant transition presence, allowing assessment of their effects on phoneme perception. Results show a significant trade‑off between VOT and formant transition, with a rapid spectral change shifting the perceived phoneme boundary by up to 15 ms, suggesting infants may initially learn the voiced‑voiceless distinction based on this property rather than absolute VOT.
Previous research on acoustic cues responsible for the voiced-voiceless distinction in prestressed English plosives has emphasized the importance of voicing onset time with respect to plosive release (VOT). Voiced plosives in English normally have a short VOT (less than 20–30 msec) and a significant formant transition is present following voice onset. Voiceless plosives in prestressed position, on the other hand, have relatively long VOT's (greater than about 50 msec) and the formant transitions are essentially completed prior to voice onset. Our experiments with synthetic speech compare the role of VOT and the presence or absence of a significant formant transition following voicing onset as cues for the voiced-voiceless distinction. The data indicate that there is a significant trading relationship between these two cues. The presence or absence of a rapid spectral change following voice onset produces up to 15-msec change in the location of the perceived phoneme boundary as measured in terms of absolute VOT. One can speculate that the auditory system may be predisposed to detect the presence or absence of a rapid spectrum change as a general property of acoustic inputs. If this is the case, then the acquisition of the voiced-voiceless distinction in infants may be conditioned initially by the presence or absence of this property at the onset of voicing rather than by absolute VOT.