Optimizing Vowel Formant Measurements in Four Acoustic Analysis Systems for Diverse Speaker Groups

This study systematically assessed the effects of select linear predictive coding (LPC) analysis parameter manipulations on vowel formant measurements for diverse speaker groups using 4 trademarked Speech Acoustic Analysis Software Packages (SAASPs): CSL, Praat, TF32, and WaveSurfer.

Productions of 4 words containing the corner vowels were recorded from 4 speaker groups with typical development (male and female adults and male and female children) and 4 speaker groups with Down syndrome (male and female adults and male and female children). Formant frequencies were determined from manual measurements using a consensus analysis procedure to establish formant reference values, and from the 4 SAASPs (using both the default analysis parameters and with adjustments or manipulations to select parameters). Smaller differences between values obtained from the SAASPs and the consensus analysis implied more optimal analysis parameter settings.

Manipulations of default analysis parameters in CSL, Praat, and TF32 yielded more accurate formant measurements, though the benefit was not uniform across speaker groups and formants. In WaveSurfer, manipulations did not improve formant measurements.

The effects of analysis parameter manipulations on accuracy of formant-frequency measurements varied by SAASP, speaker group, and formant. The information from this study helps to guide clinical and research applications of SAASPs.