Study of subglottal air pressure during Hindi stop consonants

This study examines subglottal air pressure (Ps) variations in Hindi stop consonants. The stops were produced in initial, medial and final positions and under different stress conditions in nonsense utterances of the type CV, VCV and VC which were embedded in a frame sentence. The results show no systematic correlation between Ps variations during the oral closure of the stops and the voicing and/or aspiration contrasts associated with them. However, aspiration and a momentary drop in Ps immediately after the release of aspirated stops seem to be systematically related. A systematic relationship between a momentary increase in Ps and production of stress is also observed. The variations in Ps associated with the production of stop consonants appear to be reflections of the changes in the glottal and supraglottal impedances. Ps variations related to normal stress appear to be controlled by the phonatory system rather than the respiratory system. On the other hand, for the implementation of heavy or emphatic stress, the phonatory and the respiratory systems appear to function synergistically.