A Comparative Acoustic Study of Normal, Esophageal, and Tracheoesophageal Speech Production

TLDR

The study quantified and compared acoustic characteristics of tracheoesophageal and esophageal speech to normal speech. High‑quality audio from 15 tracheoesophageal, 15 esophageal, and 15 laryngeal speakers was recorded while sustaining /a/ and reading a paragraph, and 10 frequency, 7 intensity, and 13 duration variables were extracted. Tracheoesophageal speech showed frequency and duration patterns more similar to normal speech, yet its intensity was higher than both normal and esophageal speech.

Abstract

Acoustic characteristics of two types of alaryngeal speech were quantified and compared to normal speech production. High-quality audio recordings were obtained from 15 subjects who had undergone the tracheoesophageal puncture method of postlaryngectomy vocal rehabilitation (Singer & Blom, 1980), 15 esophageal speakers, and 15 laryngeal talkers as they sustained the vowel/a/and read a standard paragraph. Ten frequency, 7 intensity, and 13 duration variables were quantified. Central tendency and variability measures of frequency and duration for the three speaker groups indicated that tracheoesophageal speech is more similar to normal speech than is esophageal speech. Intensity measures indicated that tracheoesophageal speech is more intense than normal and esophageal speech.