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Voice onset time in Thai alaryngeal speech
J Gandour1, B Weinberg, S H Petty
1Department of Audiology and Speech Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907.
The Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders
|August 1, 1987
Summary
Thai alaryngeal speakers struggle to produce voicing contrasts, especially with aspirated stops. Their ability to signal distinctions depends on the language
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Speech Science
- Phonetics
Background:
- Thai language features a three-category voicing distinction for bilabial and alveolar stops, and a two-category distinction for velar stops.
- Alaryngeal speech, produced by esophageal speakers or users of an electronic artificial larynx, presents unique challenges for phonemic contrasts.
- Voice onset time (VOT) is a key acoustic cue for distinguishing voicing in stop consonants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the perception and production of voicing contrasts in Thai alaryngeal speakers.
- To compare the VOT measurements of alaryngeal speakers with those of normal Thai speakers.
- To determine the factors influencing the realization of stop voicing contrasts in alaryngeal speech.
Main Methods:
- Measured voice onset time (VOT) in word-initial stops of isolated words produced by two Thai esophageal speakers and one Thai user of an electronic artificial larynx.
- Compared these measurements with published VOT values from normal Thai speakers.
- Analyzed the ability of alaryngeal speakers to signal voicing distinctions for different stop consonant categories.
Main Results:
- Esophageal speakers could signal voicing distinctions for unaspirated stops (/b, d/ and /p, t, k/).
- The electrolaryngeal speaker could only signal voicing for /p, t, k/.
- Thai alaryngeal speakers were generally unsuccessful in signaling the contrast for aspirated stops (/ph, th, kh/).
Conclusions:
- Alaryngeal speakers in Thai can distinguish fewer voicing categories than normal speakers, particularly for aspirated stops.
- Cross-linguistic comparison suggests a maximum of two voicing categories can be distinguished in alaryngeal speech.
- The realization of voicing contrasts in alaryngeal speech is influenced by the language's voicing system, VOT continuum, and alaryngeal speech method.