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Anticipatory velar lowering: a coproduction account.
1Department of Speech, St. John's University, Jamaica, New York 11439.
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
|July 1, 1991
Summary
Speech production likely uses coproduction, not feature spreading. This study shows velar lowering occurs regardless of nasal consonants, supporting intrinsic articulatory characteristics over context effects in speech motor control.
Area of Science:
- Speech Science
- Phonetics
- Linguistics
Background:
- Feature spreading and coproduction models offer contrasting views on speech motor control.
- Existing data partially supports both models, leading to theories of variable strategies.
- Distinguishing intrinsic articulatory traits from context-dependent coarticulation is challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate velar coarticulation to determine the dominant speech motor control model.
- To clarify whether observed coarticulatory effects stem from intrinsic characteristics or context.
- To resolve conflicting empirical data regarding speech production strategies.
Main Methods:
- Controlled comparison of CVnN and CVnC minimal pairs (C=oral consonant, Vn=vowels, N=nasal).
- Manipulation of vocalic string duration via segment number and speech rate.
- Analysis of velar movement and vocalic gestures in relation to nasal consonant onset.
Main Results:
- Velar lowering observed in CVn sequences, irrespective of a following nasal consonant.
- Similar vocalic gestures occurred in environments with and without nasal consonants.
- Velar lowering for nasal consonants initiated near the nasal murmur onset.
Conclusions:
- Results strongly support the coproduction model of speech motor control.
- Intrinsic articulatory characteristics, not context-dependent feature spreading, explain velar coarticulation.
- This resolves previous discrepancies in empirical findings on speech production strategies.
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