Speech Breathing Requirements (EXAM 1)

Question 1

Air-intake Requirements

Answer 1

Quiet Breathing: Nose
Speech Breathing: Mouth and Nose

WHY?
FASTER
Greater volume of air
Mouth is ready for speaking
Automatic switch (not taught)

Question 2

Tidal Volume Requirements

Answer 2

Quiet Breathing: 10-15% above Resting volume (50-55%)

Conversational Breathing: 20-25% above Resting volume (60-65%)

Loud Speech Breathing: 40%+ above Resting volume (80%+)

Question 3

Some volume requirements that are above loud speech

Answer 3

85% classical singing
90% vigorous yawning

Question 4

Pressure Requirements

Answer 4

Quiet Breathing: free flow of air required

Speech Breathing: Flow of air controlled to create pressure required for speech

Loudness requirements: Different levels of alveolar pressure needed for different levels of loudness

Question 5

What is speech alveolar pressure measured in?

Answer 5

CmH20

Question 6

Pressure requirements for different types of loudness in speech

Answer 6

Soft speech: 3-6cmH20
Conversational speech: 7-10cmH20
Loud speech: 11-80cmH20

Soft speech is not whispering

Question 7

Pressure requirement example above loud speech

Answer 7

Playing trumpet

Question 8

Prosody

Answer 8

Stress/Intonation patterns
Differences in loudness within speech (not monotone)
Changes across syllables in:
-pitch
-duration
-loudness

Question 9

Speech Prosody Requirements (PITCH)

Answer 9

Changes in phonatory system
Lowering pitch= statement
Raising pitch= question

HTR: That’s a dog. vs. That’s a dog?

Question 10

Speech Prosody Requirements (DURATION)

Answer 10

Changes in articulatory system
stressed syllable is longer, unstressed syllable is shorter
i.e.
permit vs. permit

Question 11

Speech Prosody Requirements (LOUDNESS)

Answer 11

Changes in respiratory system
stressed are louder, unstressed softer for a fraction of a second

How do we control brief changes in loudness?
Muscles of exhalation with greatest effect and least effort, aka internal intercostals

Question 12

Why internal intercostals for speech prosody?

Answer 12

Ribcage contacts 75% of lungs
if you move ribcage, you move the lungs (pleural linkage)

Question 13

Why not diaphragm for speech prosody?

Answer 13

(think of abdominal compression)
contacts 25% of lungs surface
larger change of diaphragm needed to influence air movement and pressure, NOT FAST

Question 14

Duration Requirements

Answer 14

Relative time spent in inhalation vs. exhalation

Quiet Breathing:
40% inspiration
60% expiration

Speech Breathing:
10% inspiration
90% expiration

Question 15

Why is speech inhalation faster (duration)?

Answer 15

Voluntary control (unconscious)
Faster intake through mouth and nose

Question 16

Why is speech exhalation slower (duration)?

Answer 16

Voluntary control
Air flow rate reduced due to vocal fold vibration impeding air flow
Muscles of exhalation maintain constant alveolar pressure in lungs during speech even after elastic recoil

Question 17

Breathy speech

Answer 17

Not a whisper
larynx not fully impeding air flow, wider glottis
Faster expiration than normal speech

Question 18

Running Speech

Answer 18

Conversational continuation of speech

Question 19

Goals of Running Speech

Answer 19

Maintain alveolar pressure at conversational levels of 7-10cmH20 during running speech in order for prosody and duration requirements!

During speech, lung volume decreases at a constant rate due to passive elastic recoil
but eventually, elastic recoil “runs out”

So how do you continue to decrease lung volume past limits of elastic recoil for speech?
MUSCLES OF EXHALATION!

Question 20

Muscles of exhalation activity before speech…

Answer 20

During Inspiration, expiratory muscles of abdomen and ribcage gets ready to spring into action
Brain prepares for speech

Question 21

Muscles of exhalation activity during speech…

Answer 21

At the end of inhalation, muscles of inhalation relax

Elastic recoil and active muscles kick in
Ribcage muscles: Internal intercostals
Abdominal muscles: All of them

Question 22

Running speech is combo of…

Answer 22

Passive and active forces to maintain alveolar pressure needs for speech!