Quantifying robustness of the /t/-/k/ contrast using a single, static spectral feature

Dynamic spectral shape features accurately classify /t/ and /k/ productions across speakers and contexts. This paper shows that word-initial /t/ and /k/ tokens produced by 21 adults can be differentiated using a single, static spectral feature when spectral energy concentration is considered relative to expectations within a given speaker and vowel context. Centroid and peak frequency-calculated from both acoustic and psychoacoustic spectra-were compared to determine whether one feature could reliably differentiate /t/ and /k/, and, if so, which feature best differentiated them. Centroid frequency from both acoustic and psychoacoustic spectra accurately classified productions of /t/ and /k/.