Speech signals

Question 1

Describe source filter theory

Answer 1

A basic sound source is generated. Then it is filtered. This creates a speech sound wave that has certain spectral characteristics.

Question 2

What are the 4 basic sound sources?

Answer 2

Voicing, Noise, Transients, Silence

Question 3

Describe voicing

Answer 3

Phonation associated with all vowels and dipthongs in English.

Question 4

Describe noise

Answer 4

Associated with whispering, voiceless fricatives, /s/ in “stops” and the aspirate/h/ in house.

Question 5

Describe transients

Answer 5

Pulse like energy associated with the initial bursts of the plosive sound.

Question 6

Describe silence

Answer 6

Periods of silence associated with stop phase of plosives

Question 7

How does sex affect VOT?

Answer 7

SWARTZ et al (1992) - longer VOTs in females for /t/ and /d/

Whiteside and Irving (1997) - /p/ and /b/

Ryalls et al (1997) - across all phonemes

Question 8

Race and VOT?

Answer 8

African Americans have longer voicing leads (Ryals et al. 1997)

Question 9

Accents and VOT?

Answer 9

Yorkshire has shorter lags in voiceless plosives