Perceptual and acoustic analysis of repetitions in stuttered speech

This study presents perceptual and acoustic data on a carefully selected set of part-word repetitions from the speech of adult stutters. Results indicated that the schwa vowel was perceived in only 25% of the repetitions, far less than previously indicated. Spectrographic analysis showed that although abnormal consonant duration and C-V formant transitions characterized the initial segment of the stuttered word, the remainder of the word is identical to its identical to its fluently produced counterpart. The results were interpreted to mean that for the type of dysfluency selected, the articulatory breakdown is confined to the initial consonant, and it is likely that abnormal formant transitions from initial consonant to vowel, when present, are due to deviant formation of the consonant rather than to faulty transition dynamics.