Consonant Acoustics

Question 1

3 important things to locate to identify a stop (beginning & end) on a spectrogram? what do they look like?

Answer 1

1. closure (none or low voicing)
2. release (noisy, non-periodic wave)
3. vowel onset (beginning of periodic wave)

Question 2

Voiced stops in English are actually…
a. prevoiced
b. voiceless

Answer 2

b. voiceless
technically have a positive but very small VOT

Question 3

VOT means? def?

Answer 3

• Voice onset time
• time after the plosive release of the consonant that the voicing begins for the vowel

Question 4

Zero VOT is also called ___?

Answer 4

voiceless unaspirated

Question 5

Positive VOT:
- also called ___?
- Voicing starts (before/after) the release??

Answer 5

AKA voiceless aspirated
- voicing starts after

Question 6

Negative VOT:
- also called ___?
- Voicing starts (before/after) the release??

Answer 6

• also called voiced
• Voicing starts before

Question 7

English separates the VOT space into…

Answer 7

• zero vs positive VOT
  (VL unaspirated vs. VL aspirated)

Question 8

Spanish separates the VOT space into…

Answer 8

• negative vs. zero VOT
  (Voiced vs. VL unaspirated)

Question 9

Russian separates the VOT space into…

Answer 9

• negative vs. zero VOT
  (Voiced vs. VL unaspirated)

Question 10

A /p/ in Spanish might sound like what to an English speaker?

Answer 10

/b/
both voiceless unaspirated

Question 11

What are the formant transition cues for labials?

Answer 11

edges of all formants point down

Question 12

What are the formant transition cues for alveolars?

Answer 12

the 2nd formant points up

Question 13

What are the formant transition cues for velars?

Answer 13

2nd and 3rd formants come together (velar
pinch)

Question 14

How is the spectrogram for approximants similar/different from vowels?

Answer 14

• characterized by formants
• clear formant pattern

But…
- weaker formants than vowels
- lower acoustic energy overall

Question 15

What are the formant cues for [l] (L) ?

Answer 15

• abrupt intensity change
• LOW F2

Question 16

What are the formant cues for [ ɹ ] ?

Answer 16

• very LOW F3

Question 17

What are the formant cues for [w] ?

Answer 17

• very similar to [u]
• LOW F1
• LOW F2

Question 18

What are the formant cues for [ j ] ?

Answer 18

• very similar to [ i ]
• LOW F1
• HIGH F2

Question 19

What are the formant cues for nasals?

Answer 19

• lower formant frqs (longer resonator cuz you add the nasal cavity)
• LOW F1 = nasal formant
• weak intensity / low amplitude
• increased bandwidth of formants
• antiformants??

Question 20

Nasal murmur def?

Answer 20

• formant & anti-formant patterns of nasals
  (she did not explain this, good luck)
  it’s on slide 36, but it doesn’t actually explain anything either :)

Question 21

What does it indicate if the pulses are getting farther apart on a spectrogram?

Answer 21

• Creaky voice
• Glottal pulses (vocal fold vibration) is slower / more relaxed with creaky voice

Question 22

What are the source and filter for fricatives?
Important things about the filter?

Answer 22

Source: airflow (made turbulent by tight constriction)

Filter: oral cavity, area in front of the constriction

• length determines its lowest frq
• size of cavity determines resonant shaping (transfer function)

Question 23

Which fricative has lower frq energy: ʃ or s ? Why?

Answer 23

ʃ is lower, because you lengthen the cavity by rounding your lips, which lowers the frq