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Interarticulator phasing, locus equations, and degree of coarticulation
1Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA. lofquist@haskins.yale.edu
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
|October 26, 1999
Summary
The slope of locus equations may not accurately reflect consonant-vowel coarticulation. This study found no articulatory evidence to support the assumption that slope indicates coarticulation degree in speech production.
Area of Science:
- Phonetics
- Speech Science
- Linguistics
Background:
- Locus equations model speech sound production.
- The slope of locus equations is often assumed to indicate consonant-vowel coarticulation.
- The articulatory basis for this assumption is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the articulatory underpinnings of the locus equation slope.
- To determine if articulatory measures correlate with the assumed degree of coarticulation.
Main Methods:
- Four participants produced VCV sequences (/b, d, g/ and /i, a, u/).
- Tongue and lip movements were tracked using a magnetometer system.
- Articulatory measures included temporal phasing and tongue movement magnitudes.
Main Results:
- No tested articulatory measure showed a correlation with locus equation slope.
- The assumption that slope reflects coarticulation degree was not supported by articulatory data.
Conclusions:
- The slope of locus equations may not be a reliable index of consonant-vowel coarticulation.
- Further research is needed to understand the articulatory basis of speech sound interactions.