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Published on: December 2, 2011
Formant characteristics of human laughter
Diana P Szameitat1, Chris J Darwin, André J Szameitat
1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany. d.szameitat@gmx.de
Journal of Voice : Official Journal of the Voice Foundation
|April 13, 2010
Summary
Laughter involves extreme vocal tract articulation, leading to unusually high first formant (F1) frequencies in vocalic segments. These findings reveal novel acoustic properties of human laughter.
Area of Science:
- Acoustic Phonetics
- Speech Science
- Nonverbal Communication
Background:
- Laughter is a key nonverbal vocalization, but its acoustic characteristics remain incompletely understood.
- Extreme articulation in laughter, like wide jaw opening, suggests potential for high formant frequencies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the acoustic properties of vocalic segments during laughter production.
- To measure fundamental frequency and formant frequencies, particularly the first formant (F1).
Main Methods:
- Measurement of fundamental frequency and formant frequencies during the vocalic portions of laughter.
- Analysis of acoustic data to determine F1 values in male and female speakers.
Main Results:
- Vocalic segments of laughter exhibited higher average F1 frequencies than previously documented.
- Individual F1 frequencies reached up to 1100 Hz (males) and 1500 Hz (females), the highest reported for human vocalizations.
- These values exceed those found even in trained soprano singers.
Conclusions:
- Exceptionally high F1 frequencies in laughter are attributed to extreme vocal tract postures.
- Physiological constraints associated with producing a "pressed" voice likely contribute to these high F1 values.
- This study advances the understanding of the acoustic science of human vocalizations.
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