Interacting effects of syllable and phrase position on consonant articulation

Area of Science:

• Phonetics
• Speech Production
• Articulatory Phonology

Background:

• Prosodic structure significantly impacts speech production.
• Articulatory behavior studies are key to understanding these effects.
• The interplay between phrasal and syllable-level prosody on articulation requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the joint effects of phrasal and syllable position on consonant articulation.
• To investigate how prosodic context shapes the kinematic properties of speech sounds.
• To understand prosodic signatures on articulation.

Main Methods:

• Collected articulatory kinematic data from five subjects using electromagnetic articulography (EMA).
• Recorded target consonants (labial, labiodental, tongue tip) in syllable-initial/final and phrase-medial/edge positions.
• Analyzed spatial and temporal characteristics of consonantal constriction formation and release using articulator velocity profiles.

Main Results:

• Syllable and phrasal position consistently influenced consonant movement duration.
• Effects on displacement (spatial extent of movement) were more variable across subjects.
• Boundary-adjacent movements (preboundary coda release, postboundary onset formation) exhibited comparable lengthening.

Conclusions:

• Both syllable and phrasal position are significant factors in speech articulation.
• Prosodic boundary effects on consonant articulation manifest primarily as temporal adjustments (lengthening).
• The findings contribute to a nuanced understanding of prosodic influences on the motor control of speech.