Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location01:21

Perceiving Loudness, Pitch, and Location

The human brain perceives pitch through two primary mechanisms reflected in place theory and frequency theory. Each mechanism describes how sound waves are interpreted as specific pitches by the brain, offering insights into the intricate processes of auditory perception.
Place theory, or place coding, suggests that different pitches are heard because various sound waves activate specific locations along the cochlea's basilar membrane. The brain determines the pitch of a sound by identifying...
Perception of Sound Waves01:01

Perception of Sound Waves

The human ear is not equally sensitive to all frequencies in the audible range. It may perceive sound waves with the same pressure but different frequencies as having different loudness. Moreover, the perception of sound waves depends on the health of an individual's ears, which decays with age. The health of one's ears may also be affected by regular exposure to loud noises.
The pitch of a sound depends on the frequency and the pressure amplitude of the source. Two sounds of the same frequency...
The Cochlea01:13

The Cochlea

The cochlea is a coiled structure in the inner ear that contains hair cells—the sensory receptors of the auditory system. Sound waves are transmitted to the cochlea by small bones attached to the eardrum called the ossicles, which vibrate the oval window that leads to the inner ear. This causes fluid in the chambers of the cochlea to move, vibrating the basilar membrane.
Hearing01:31

Hearing

When we hear a sound, our nervous system is detecting sound waves—pressure waves of mechanical energy traveling through a medium. The frequency of the wave is perceived as pitch, while the amplitude is perceived as loudness.
Non-Verbal Cues01:29

Non-Verbal Cues

Non-verbal communication extends beyond gestures and facial expressions to include vocal elements known as paralanguage. Paralanguage consists of non-verbal vocal cues such as pitch, loudness, speech rate, pauses, and non-verbal vocalizations like laughter, sighs, and moans. These elements not only accompany speech but also provide critical emotional and contextual information.The Role of Paralanguage in CommunicationParalanguage adds depth to spoken language by conveying emotions and...
Language and Cognition01:27

Language and Cognition

Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Perceptual Tuning to Structure: Integrating the Phonetic Detail of Coarticulatory Vowel Nasalization With Prosodic and Information Structure.

Language and speech·2026
Same author

Unveiling Denasalization as an Ongoing Sound Change: The Role of Prosody and Gender in Seoul Korean.

Language and speech·2025
Same author

Perceptual Cue Weighting Matters in Real-Time Integration of Acoustic Information During Spoken Word Recognition.

Cognitive science·2024
Same author

Prosodic focus marking in Seoul Korean-speaking children: the use of prosodic phrasing.

Frontiers in psychology·2024
Same author

Production of coda voicing contrast of L2 English by native Mandarin Chinese speakers in comparison with native Korean speakers.

JASA express letters·2023
Same author

Data on English coda voicing contrast under different prosodic conditions produced by American English speakers and Korean learners of English.

Data in brief·2023

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 9, 2026

Foreign Accent and Forensic Speaker Identification in Voice Lineups: The Influence of Acoustic Features Based on Prosody
09:09

Foreign Accent and Forensic Speaker Identification in Voice Lineups: The Influence of Acoustic Features Based on Prosody

Published on: September 27, 2024

Prosodic boundary information modulates phonetic categorization.

Sahyang Kim1, Taehong Cho

  • 1Department of English Education, Hongik University, Sangsu-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul 121-791, Korea. sahyang@hongik.ac.kr

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
|July 19, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Phonetic perception is influenced by prosodic boundaries, affecting how listeners categorize speech sounds like /b/ and /p/. This effect occurs regardless of native language experience, highlighting universal speech processing mechanisms.

More Related Videos

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization
05:35

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization

Published on: April 19, 2017

Interaction between Phonological and Semantic Processes in Visual Word Recognition using Electrophysiology
05:38

Interaction between Phonological and Semantic Processes in Visual Word Recognition using Electrophysiology

Published on: June 29, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 9, 2026

Foreign Accent and Forensic Speaker Identification in Voice Lineups: The Influence of Acoustic Features Based on Prosody
09:09

Foreign Accent and Forensic Speaker Identification in Voice Lineups: The Influence of Acoustic Features Based on Prosody

Published on: September 27, 2024

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization
05:35

Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization

Published on: April 19, 2017

Interaction between Phonological and Semantic Processes in Visual Word Recognition using Electrophysiology
05:38

Interaction between Phonological and Semantic Processes in Visual Word Recognition using Electrophysiology

Published on: June 29, 2021

Area of Science:

  • Linguistics
  • Phonetics
  • Psycholinguistics

Background:

  • Categorical perception demonstrates that the auditory system categorizes speech sounds.
  • Voice onset time (VOT) is a key feature distinguishing phonemes like /b/ and /p/.
  • Prosodic boundaries, such as intonational phrases and word boundaries, can influence speech perception.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how prosodic boundary strength and language experience modulate phonetic categorization.
  • To examine the perception of an English /b-p/ voice onset time (VOT) continuum by native American English and non-native Korean listeners.

Main Methods:

  • Experiments utilized a /b-p/ VOT continuum.
  • Listeners included native American English speakers and non-native Korean speakers.
  • Stimuli were presented in contexts with varying prosodic boundary strengths (intonational phrase vs. word boundary).

Main Results:

  • Listeners required a longer VOT to identify a sound as /p/ following an intonational phrase boundary compared to a word boundary.
  • This perceptual shift occurred irrespective of the listeners' native language background.
  • Results indicate that prosodic boundary strength significantly impacts phonetic categorization.

Conclusions:

  • Segmental perception is modulated by the listener's processing of abstract prosodic structures.
  • Phonetic cues like phrase-final lengthening and domain-initial strengthening, common across languages, play a role in this modulation.
  • The findings suggest universal mechanisms in speech perception influenced by prosody.