L3 - Vowels and Consonants

Question 1

Spectrum reminder:
Each vertical line is a ________ at integer multiples of the ____________, equally spaced

Answer 1

Spectrum reminder:
Each vertical line is a harmonic at integer multiples of the the fundamental frequency, equally spaced

Question 2

Vowels contain lots of formants, the _________ frequencies can be used to identify the vowel

Answer 2

lowest 2

Question 3

The lowest band visible on the spectogram is the ______

Answer 3

first formant (F1)

Question 4

How do formants vary on a spectrogram for monophthongs vs diphthongs?

Answer 4

In dipthongs, you can see the formants change frequency as the tongue body moves through the mouth
Monophthongs have a more stable quality

Question 5

Vocal tract is approximated by a 2 tube system – determines where 1st/2nd formant frequencies are.
The 1st formant frequency is related to the:
The 2nd formant frequency is related to the:

Answer 5

1st formant = back of vocal tract
2nd formant = front cavity

Question 6

Based on 2 tube resonator models, Fant pointed out that:
F1 formant frequency is related to the volume of the _________
F2 formant frequency is related to the volume of the ________

Answer 6

F1 formant frequency is related to the volume of the back cavity
F2 formant frequency is related to the volume of the front cavity

Question 7

From /i:/ to /u:/ the tongue becomes more _________

Answer 7

retracted

Question 8

The more retracted the tongue is, the _________ the front cavity is

Answer 8

longer

Question 9

As the front cavity size increases, the F2 resonant frequency _________

Answer 9

decreases

Question 10

From /u:/ to /a:/ the tongue moves from a _____ to ______ position.

Answer 10

high to low

Question 11

The lower the tongue, the more the pharyngeal (back) cavity ______ in size

Answer 11

decreases

Question 12

As the back cavity size decreases, F1 frequency ________

Answer 12

increases

Question 13

/i:/, /u:/ and /a:/ are known as ‘_____’ vowels
Their formant values are extreme values in terms of F1 and F2 for a given speaker

Answer 13

point

Question 14

In monophthongs, vocal tract configuration remains the same throughout sound, so formants are steady, no change in _______

In diphthongs, articulators move during production of vowel, so formants change in frequency, producing change in _______

Answer 14

timbre

Question 15

Professional singers produce an extra ________ at around 3000Hz to make voice stand out

Changing cavity size by the ________ creates an extra cavity for resonance

Answer 15

formant
epiglottis

Question 16

Source-filter in consonant production
What are the sources?

Answer 16

Voicing
Frication (aspiration)
Mixed excitation (frication and voicing)

Question 17

Source-filter in consonant production
What are the filters?

Answer 17

Articulators form a constriction or occlusion in the vocal tract

Question 18

Vowels involve ______ changes in articulators whereas consonants involve ______ changes

Vowels are produced with a relatively _____ vocal tract, whereas consonants involve ________ or ________

In vowels, only the __________ is used. In consonants, there is coordination of different sources (frication, voicing)

Answer 18

Vowels involve slow changes in articulators whereas consonants involve rapid changes

Vowels are produced with a relatively open vocal tract, whereas consonants involve constriction or occlusion

In vowels, only the voicing source is used. In consonants, there is coordination of different sources (frication, voicing)

Question 19

What are the 2 phases of plosives?

Answer 19

• Closure phase
• Release phase (obstruction is released air molecules can escape)

Question 20

What are the labiodental fricatives?

Answer 20

f - unvoiced labiodental fricative
v - voiced labiodental fricative

Question 21

What are the alveolar fricatives?

Answer 21

s - unvoiced alveolar fricative
z - voiced alveolar fricative

Question 22

What are the post-alveolar fricatives

Answer 22

θ - unvoiced dental fricative
ð - voiced dental fricative

Question 23

What is the voice/place/manner/ of r (upside down symbol)

Answer 23

Voiced alveolar approximant

Question 24

What is the voice/place/manner of j (‘y’)

Answer 24

Voiced palatal approximant

Question 25

What is the voice/place/manner of l

Answer 25

Voiced alveolar lateral approximant

Question 26

Which are the postalveolar fricatives?

Answer 26

ʃ - Voiceless postalveolar fricative
ʒ - Voiced postalveolar fricative

Question 27

Plosives
- Clear (empty) part of spectrum shows the ‘_______’
- ____ frequency energy (voice bar) at bottom part of closure
- Dark vertical line (right) of closure = intense burst of energy

Answer 27

closure
low

Question 28

What do formant transitions result from? How do they appear on spectogram?

Answer 28

Formant transitions result from changes in cavities as articulators move quickly to get into position for vowels
On spectograms, darker lines of energy go up or down – shows movement of articulation in the mouth (transitioning between sound frequencies)

Question 29

F1 transition gives information about…..
F2 transition gives information about….

Answer 29

F1 transition gives information about manner of articulation and voicing of consonant
F2 transition gives information about consonant place of articulation

Question 30

What is an important marker of whether a plosive is voiced?

Answer 30

Voice onset time

Voiced consonants: VOT starts less than 30ms after burst. Little to no aspiration. Voicing can occur during closure. F1 transition during vowel onset.

Voiceless consonants: VOT starts more than 50ms after burst. Aspiration visible during VOT. No voicing during closure. F1 cutback (no transition visible)

Question 31

What are markers of plosive place of articulation?

Answer 31

Patterns of formant transitions into following vowel
Frequency range in burst where energy is most concentrated

Question 32

Fricatives articulation:
Manner: ________ in oral tract
Place: Place where ________ occurs
Voicing: Presence or absence of vocal fold vibration

Answer 32

Constriction
Constriction

Question 33

Describe the source and filter of fricatives

Answer 33

Source: air turbulence when passing through constriction
Filter: noise produced is shaped by resonances in front and behind constriction

Question 34

Question 35

Labiodental – high freq energy

Post-alveolar – low freq energy

Shape of front cavity changes depending on the PoA

Question 36

(Source) A narrow constriction e.g /s/ produces most energy in ______ frequency regions

Answer 36

higher

Question 37

(Source) A open wide constriction e.g /f/ - energy is…

Answer 37

distributed over wide frequency band

Question 38

Filter: Place of constriction determines vocal tract length

Longer vocal tract e.g /sh/ –> ______ resonances

Shorter vocal tract e.g /s/ –> _______ resonances

Answer 38

lower
higher

Question 39

Nasals articulation
Manner: Obstruction in oral tract together with lowered velum to couple in the nasal nasal tract
Place: Place where obstruction occurs in oral tract
Voicing: Always voice in english

Question 40

What are the source and filter of nasals?

Answer 40

Source: sound produced by vocal fold vibration
Filter: nasal and oral resonances behind the constriction

Question 41

Question 42

• Nasal formants (nasal murmur) refers to formant frequencies below blank space

Question 43

What are the 3 ‘approximants’

Answer 43

r, j, w

Question 44

What is the lateral approximant

Answer 44

l

Question 45

What type of consonants are most similar to vowels in their approximation?

Answer 45

Approximants
One articulator approaches another but not to such a degree that airflow becomes turbulent