Jeff Conn Webpage with lecture slide info: web.pdx/~connjc

Jeff Conn guest lecture on Pdx Dialect/Vowel acousticsJeff Conn guest lecture on Pdx Dialect/Vowel acoustics

Slide 1

Jeff Conn

Webpage with lecture slide info: web.pdx.edu/~connjc


Slide 2

acoustic characteristics of speech sounds (not articulatory) – how sounds sound rather than how they’re made

Sound is waves (complex waves) = composed of a fundamental wave which repeats itself at the frequency of the opening and closing of vocal folds and a set of harmonic waves which repeat at frequencies which are multiples of the fundamental.

Make Sound by small variations in air pressure caused by vocal organs superimposed on airflow

For Voiced Consonants & Vowels - Vocal folds chop up airstream, high and low pressure

Fricatives - Narrow Constriction of blowing air with varying peaks of air pressure

Sounds cause air particles to move, which makes tympanic membrane move (auditory)

Chapter 8 – Acoustic Phonetics


Slide 3

Waveforms plot air pressure variation over time – Peaks indicate vocal fold vibrations (see sample waveform)

Very difficult to get much information from waveforms, but can tell where the loudest segments are (usually vowels) and can see fricative energy, as well as stops and release, and some info about nasal, glide and liquids (can’t see place of articulation really, only voicing and manner)



Slide 4

Pitch - A subjective measure of low to high with regard to acoustic properties.

Dependent on how fast/slow vocal folds vibrate. Increase pitch with an increase in rate of vibration.

Measure objectively by frequency = how many cycles per second of vibration.

If vocal folds vibrate 200 times per second - 200 cps - 200 Hertz

Pitch = Fundamental Frequency or F0 (for our purposes)

Male voice - 80-200 Hz

Female Voice - 400+Hz

Child Voice - 800+ Hz



Slide 5

Loudness & Intensity

Loudness depends on size of air pressure variations; subjective judgment.

Intensity is objective measure, in decibels (dB), the amplitude of air pressure variations.

More intensity-------------------------Less intensity

Vowels --Nasals, Liquids & Glides -- Sibilants

Actual Intensity of a Segment dependent on Factors, to include:

its position in the sentence

degree of stress on each word

speaker characteristics

*Some vowels seem to show an overall lower intensity – commonly, higher vowels have less intensity than lower vowels (although this can change depending on above factors)



Slide 6

In the production of vowels, the filtering effect of vocal tract produces amplitude peaks at certain frequencies by enhancing the harmonics (which are the component waves of a complex wave form) at those frequencies while dampening harmonics at other frequencies.



Slide 7

The peaks in the filter function are called formants (resonant frequencies of the vocal tract).

You can change the pitch of a vowel without changing the vowel quality (the rate of vibration of the air in the vocal tract [vowel] is independent of the rate of vibration of the vocal folds [pitch])

Listen to different parts of speech on website

So - have vocal folds that open and close. Causes fundamental frequency, or F0. Then have this air that resonates differently according to the position of the vocal organs (different vowels)



Slide 8

Acoustic analysis of consonantsStops show burst - Fricatives show chaotic noise – Different fricatives show different energy (sibilants versus not)Notice the difference between [f] and [s] is above 3000 Hz so phones cut this off which is why I have restaurant reservations for Jess!



Slide 9

Acoustic analysis of consonants

Liquids look like vowels, and glides even more so[] show lowering of F3 with F2



Slide 10

Acoustic analysis of consonants

Liquids look like vowels, and glides even more so[] show lowering of F3 with F2


From Rob Hagiwara’s webpage: http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~robh/howto.html#


Slide 11

Acoustic analysis of consonantsBilabial show F1 and F2 together at low frequenciesAlveolar F2 locus around 1700 HzVelar F2 and F3 merge - velar pinch



Slide 12

Acoustic analysis of consonantsBilabial show F1 and F2 together at low frequenciesAlveolar F2 locus around 1700 HzVelar F2 and F3 merge - velar pinch


Figure 4. Spectrograms of "bab" "dad" and "gag".

From Rob Hagiwara’s webpage: http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~robh/howto.html#


Slide 13

Acoustic analysis of consonantsVoicing shows voice bar across bottom of spectrogramNasal has nasal formants (sonorant) What can you tell about vowels from below spectrograms?



Slide 14

Acoustic analysis of consonantsChapter 8 – Acoustic Phonetics

Table 8.1 Acoustic correlates of consonant features

Voiced Vertical striations corresponding to the vibrations of vocal folds

Bilabial Locus of both 2nd and 3rd formants comparatively low

Alveolar Locus of 2nd formant about 1700-1800 Hz

Velar Usually high locus of 2nd formant. Common origin of 2nd and 3rd formant transitions (velar pinch where 2nd and 3rd formants meet)

Retroflex General lowering of 3rd and 4th formants

Stop Gap in pattern, followed by burst of noise for voiceless stops or sharp beginning of formant structure for voiced stops.

Fricative Random noise pattern, especially in higher frequency regions, but dependent on place of articulation

Nasal Formant structure similar to the of vowels but with nasal formants at about 250, 2500 and 3250 Hz.

Lateral Formant structure similar to the of vowels but with formants at about 250, 1200 and 2400 Hz. The higher formants are considerably reduced in intensity.

Approximant Formant structure similar to that in vowels, usually changing.


Slide 15

Dialect regions according to some dialectologists/sociolinguists

O’Grady, et al., 2010


Slide 16

Based on lexical variation: O’Grady, et al., 2010


Slide 17

Linguistic variation and changeRegional difference by vowel production shifts (language change) over timeNorthern Cities Shift (play Chicago sample - 3mins)

O'Grady, W., Archibald, J., Aronoff, M., Rees-Miller, J. (2010). Contemporary Linguistics: An Introduction (6th edition)


Slide 18



Slide 19

Linguistic variation and changeThe Southern Shift (Play Arkansas 2mins; play Eng 3mins;



Slide 20



Slide 21

Linguistic variation and changeThe California/Canada Shift (Play Cali - 1:45; Ontario 2:15)



Slide 22


?


Slide 23

California different from Canada – Is Seattle/Portland different from Vancouver BC?


Slide 24

Linguistic variation and change – cot vs. caughtFrom Linguistic Atlas of N American English


Slide 25

Melissa, 28

‘caught’

‘cot’

Cot/Caught Merger


Slide 26

Cot/Caught Merger

‘off’

Dorothy, 89


Slide 27

The Fronting of /ow/


Slide 28

350

400

450

500

550

600

650

700

80090010001100120013001400150016001700180019002000210022002300

eyF

eyC

e

ow

ow-N

owN

owL

350

400

450

500

550

600

650

700

80090010001100120013001400150016001700180019002000210022002300

eyF

eyC

e

ow

ow-N

owN

owL

The Fronting of /ow/ in Pdx

Stacy, 14 ???

Jan, 53

Daisy, 56

Kenneth, 53

Sabrina, 28

350

400

450

500

550

600

650

700

80090010001100120013001400150016001700180019002000210022002300

eyF

eyC

e

ow

ow-N

owN

owL

350

400

450

500

550

600

650

700

80090010001100120013001400150016001700180019002000210022002300

eyF

eyC

e

ow

ow-N

owN

owL

Jan, 53

Kenneth, 53


Slide 29

The Canadian Shift


Slide 30

500

550

600

650

700

750

800

850

900

110012001300140015001600170018001900200021002200230024002500

short-o F2 <

1275 Hz.

short-a F2 < 1750 Hz.

short-e F1 > 650 Hz.

500

550

600

650

700

750

800

850

900

110012001300140015001600170018001900200021002200230024002500

The Canadian Shift

Robbie, 14

Melissa, 28


Slide 31

Acoustic analysis of vowels

Whisper vowel corners to hear F2

Thump throat to hear F1

First formant (F1) represents vowel height (inversely) (dark band near bottom)- measure from middle of dark band vertically

Second formant (F2) represents vowel front/back with the higher the F2, the fronter the vowel (2nd dark band) – measure from middle of dark band

Sound spectrograph - an instrument that translates a sound into a visual representation - called a spectrogram.

Waveforms and spectrograms - see Praat for vowel measurement and representation



Slide 32

Acoustic analysis of vowels



Slide 33

Acoustic properties of vowels (from Mike Ward, 2003, master’s thesis at PSU)


Slide 34

Acoustic properties of vowels (from Mike Ward, 2003, master’s thesis at PSU)


Slide 35

Acoustic analysis of vowels – from Plotnik



Slide 36

Different Vowel Systems - Philadelphia

C = syllable closed by Cons; F = free – vowel final; V = closed by voiced Cons or final; 0 = closed by voiceless Cons


Slide 37

Different Vowel Systems – Philly Bonnie



Slide 38

Different Vowel Systems - Portland



Slide 39




Slide 40




Slide 41

Cardinal vowels = not real language - the extreme positions of the vowel space - use IPA vowel symbols to representA language uses these symbols for the closest vowel like articulation in that language (English [i] is not cardinal [i] but cardinal [i] is closest)

Cardinal vowel (1) = [i] – any further front/high would be

(voiced palatal fricative)Cardinal vowel (5) = - any further lower/back would be

(voiced pharyngeal fric)

Vowel quality in different languages and varieties of the same language differ - not always phonetically accurate

Chapter 9 - Vowels and vowel-like articulations


Slide 42

Cardinal vowels pretend equal distance between each vowel, but the front vowels have much further space from high to low than the back vowels (See Figure 9.3, p. 215)



Slide 43

Tongue height not really valid – there is an auditory quality that is more appropriately captured by “vowel height” and can be measured acoustically (F1, F2, etc).



Slide 44

Secondary cardinal vowels are identical to primary, but have opposite lip rounding (plus a couple extra) See Figure 9.5, p. 217



Slide 45

Acoustic analysis of vowels – from Plotnik – Portland speaker (contrast with Figures 9.6-9.8, pp 219-220)Chapter 9


IPA

iy

ey

i

e

uw

u

ow

o

oh

oy

aw

ay

ah


Slide 46

Vowels - vowel space broken down even more than in English



Slide 47

Vowel Chart Modified


HIGH

MID

LOW


Slide 48

Summary of vowel quality (see Table 9.2, p. 226)

HeightBacknessRhotaciziationRoundingATRNaasalization



Slide 49

Advanced tongue root = ATR - pharyngeal constrictionNot the same as tense/lax but kinda sorta

[ ] = retracted tongue root (-ATR)[ ] = advanced tongue root (+ATR)



Slide 50

Rhotacized vowels - different ways to produce r-coloring (shown in acoustic signal by lowering of F3)

Nasalization - Vowels are nasalized = air is allowed to escape the nasal passage AS WELL AS the oral passage

Approximants can also be nasalized

Vowel quality - Height, backness, rounding, rhotacization, ATR, nasalization



Slide 51

Secondary articulations (See p.231 – Table 9.5)

Palatalization - as in Russian = added [j] after consonantPalatalized = above; a sound made closer to palatal region (English [k] in word ‘key’ is palatalized); historical process that turns sounds into alveopalatal consonants

Velarization - secondary raising of back of tongue (dark [l] in English)



Slide 52

Secondary articulations (See p.231 – Table 9.5)

Pharyngealization - narrowing of pharynx (Hebrew, Arabic)

Labialization - additional lip rounding ([w] after/at the same time as consonant)

Labialization + palatalization



Slide 53


Documents

Jeff Conn Webpage with lecture slide info: web.pdx/~connjc