Vowel-dependent variation in Cantonese /s/ from an individual-difference perspective.

Area of Science:

• Linguistics
• Phonetics
• Speech Science

Background:

• Individual variation is common in human speech acoustics.
• However, the nature of individual differences in speech coarticulation remains largely unexplored.
• Coarticulation is the influence of one speech sound on a neighboring speech sound.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate individual differences in the temporal dynamics of coarticulation.
• Specifically, to examine vocalic influences on the acoustic realization of Cantonese /s/.
• To determine if sex and autistic-like traits correlate with variations in coarticulation.

Main Methods:

• An in-depth case study approach was employed.
• Analysis focused on the temporal dynamics of vocalic influences on Cantonese /s/.
• Data included acoustic measurements and self-reported autistic-like traits.

Main Results:

• Significant individual variation in coarticulatory effects was observed.
• Coarticulation patterns varied notably between sexes.
• Self-reported autistic-like traits were also associated with differences in coarticulation.

Conclusions:

• Coarticulatory effects are not uniform across individuals.
• Sex and autistic-like traits are potential factors influencing speech coarticulation.
• Findings have implications for phonetic and phonological research, including sound change studies.