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Predicting and classifying Japanese singleton and geminate consonants using logarithmic duration
Shigeaki Amano1, Mariko Kondo2, Kimiko Yamakawa3
1Faculty of Human Informatics, Aichi Shukutoku University, Nagakute City, Aichi, Japan.
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
|October 2, 2021
Summary
Logarithmic durations, not raw durations, accurately predict Japanese consonant types. This acoustic analysis offers a more robust method for classifying singleton and geminate consonants across speaking rates.
Area of Science:
- Phonetics
- Acoustic Phonetics
- Linguistics
Background:
- Distinguishing Japanese singleton and geminate consonants is crucial for speech analysis.
- Previous studies often relied on raw consonant durations, which can be affected by speaking rate.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify reliable acoustic variables for predicting and classifying Japanese singleton and geminate consonants.
- To compare the effectiveness of raw versus logarithmic durations.
Main Methods:
- Examined raw and logarithmic durations of consonants and surrounding segments.
- Utilized 12 minimal pair words spoken in a carrier sentence at varied speaking rates by 20 native speakers.
- Applied regression and discriminant analyses.
Main Results:
- Logarithmic durations significantly outperformed raw durations in predicting and classifying consonant types.
- The most effective acoustic variables were logarithmic closure/frication duration and logarithmic preceding mora duration.
- Logarithmic durations proved to be relational invariants, accommodating variations in speaking rates.
Conclusions:
- Logarithmic durations are superior acoustic variables for analyzing Japanese consonant distinctions.
- This finding provides a more stable method for classifying consonant gemination irrespective of speaking rate variations.
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