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Fundamental frequency variation with an electrolarynx improves speech understanding: a case study.
Peter J Watson1, Robert S Schlauch
1Department of Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, 164 Pillsbury Drive, Shevlin 115, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. pjwatson@umn.edu
American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology
|December 25, 2008
Summary
Varying the fundamental frequency (F0) significantly improved speech intelligibility for electrolarynx (EL) users by 14%. Training alaryngeal speakers to modulate F0 enhances communication in noisy environments.
Area of Science:
- Speech-language pathology
- Acoustic phonetics
- Communication sciences
Background:
- Alaryngeal speech, often produced with an electrolarynx (EL), can present intelligibility challenges.
- Fundamental frequency (F0) variation is a key prosodic feature in typical speech, influencing intelligibility.
Observation:
- An experienced alaryngeal talker produced sentences using an EL with both variable and constant F0.
- Control sentences with natural F0 variation were artificially flattened to a constant F0.
- Listeners' ability to understand sentences in background noise was assessed.
Findings:
- Speech intelligibility was, on average, 14% higher for sentences produced with variable F0 by the talker compared to constant F0 conditions.
- Variable F0, controlled by the alaryngeal speaker, enhanced speech understanding in noise.
Implications:
- Modulating fundamental frequency (F0) is crucial for improving speech intelligibility in alaryngeal communication.
- Training alaryngeal speakers who use electrolarynges to incorporate F0 variation could significantly benefit their communicative effectiveness, especially in challenging listening conditions.
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