Voice source variations during consonant-vowel transitions
Anders Löfqvist, Richard S. McGowan · The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America · 1988
Studies of the voice source during speech have been concerned mostly with variations in fundamental frequency and amplitude. However, the source variations also comprise the spectral characteristics and the harmonics-to-noise ratio. The present study reports detailed measurements of voice source properties during transitions between consonants and vowels. Oral air flow, oral air pressure, and transillumination were recorded from two subjects producing reiterant speech with the vowel /æ/ and different voiced and voiceless consonants; the flow signal was inverse-filtered to obtain an estimate of the glottal pulse. Results indicate a breathy phonation at the release of voiceless consonants as indicated by an open quotient close to 1. Peak flow during each glottal pulse is thus high at voicing onset following a voiceless consonant and decreases, with an undershoot, during the first 20 pitch periods. The source pulse is also skewed to the left during the first pitch periods following voiceless consonants. Source variations following voiced consonants are less pronounced. [Work supported by NINCDS Grants NS-13617 to Haskins Laboratories.]