Lecture 1

Question 1

Basic Problems for Speech Production Researchers

Answer 1

• speech is complex
• no sufficient detailed description is available of what happens when we speak
• competing theories of what happens when we speak
• don’t know what speaker is trying to control
• don’t know if speaker is trying to control same thing for all speech sounds
• don’t know if all speakers are trying to control same things.

Question 2

Technical Problems in studying speech production

Answer 2

• most speech activity is hidden from view-most aritc happens behind lips
• artics. move very fast
• we commonly produce more than 10 segments each second
• takes place in a relatively small space
• instruments must be small and waterproof
• space is dark-light must be brought in from outside.

Question 3

Different research efforts have led different scientists to conclude:

Answer 3

• feedback is only modestly important in controlling speech movements (auditory, visual, propioceptive) others argue its very important in controlling speech movements
• artics. are controlled independently others argue artics. are controlled in working groups.

Question 4

diphones

Answer 4

• two phones
• hop on pop
• for “bad” the diphones are /ba/ /ad/

Question 5

demisyllables

Answer 5

• for “brand” /bra/ + /and/

- speaker needs to control as many things as there are demisyllables

Question 6

What is the speaker trying to control?

Answer 6

• spatial position of artics (placement of tongue tip and velum)
• characteristics of movements
• direction of movement
• duration of movement
• velocity of movement (how fast you get there)
• acceleration of movement (how fast you accelerate)
• air pressure or airflow

Question 7

stress levels

Answer 7

• object/object

- stress level, pitch, duration, loudness to change meaning of word