Measuring larynx movement in standard Thia using the cricothyrometer

Area of Science:

• Linguistics
• Phonetics
• Speech Science

Background:

• Standard Thai possesses five phonologically contrastive tones, requiring precise articulatory mechanisms for their production.
• Understanding the biomechanics of speech, specifically larynx movement, is crucial for explaining tonal variations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the vertical movement of the larynx during connected speech in Standard Thai.
• To determine the influence of factors like pitch, consonant phonation, vowel quality, tone, and utterance position on larynx movement.

Main Methods:

• Acoustic and kinematic analysis of Standard Thai connected speech.
• Measurement of larynx vertical displacement in relation to speech parameters.

Main Results:

• Utterance position was the most significant factor correlating with larynx movement variations.
• A consistent rise-fall pattern of larynx movement was observed across utterances with different pitch contours.

Conclusions:

• Larynx height is not the primary mechanism controlling pitch in Standard Thai connected speech.
• Findings suggest revised models for pitch production, distinctive features of tone, and the role of larynx movement in speech articulation.