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Formant frequency estimates for abruptly changing area functions: a comparison between calculations and measurements
J Sundberg1, B Lindblom, J Liljencrants
1Department of Speech Communication and Music Acoustics, Royal Institute of Technology, S-10044 Stockholm, Sweden.
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
|June 1, 1992
Summary
Inner length correction (ILC) is crucial for accurate vocal tract formant frequency calculations, especially with abrupt area changes. Omitting ILC leads to significant errors, particularly for speech sounds like apical stops.
Area of Science:
- Acoustic phonetics
- Speech production modeling
Background:
- Vocal tract area functions can exhibit abrupt cross-sectional area changes.
- Accurate formant frequency calculation is essential for speech analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the necessity and impact of inner length correction (ILC) in formant frequency calculations.
- To compare physical model acoustic measurements with computer simulations for vocal tract models.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a physical model of the vocal tract for acoustic measurements.
- Employed computer simulations to model vocal tract area functions.
- Compared formant frequencies calculated with and without inner length correction.
Main Results:
- Calculating formant frequencies without inner length correction (ILC) introduced substantial errors.
- Errors were particularly pronounced for area functions representing apical stops near occlusion.
- Model element decentering and axial symmetry showed minor effects on formant frequencies.
Conclusions:
- Inner length correction (ILC) is vital for accurate formant frequency calculations in vocal tract models with abrupt area changes.
- The study validates the importance of ILC, especially for specific speech sounds.
- Physical modeling and simulations provide complementary insights into vocal tract acoustics.