Phonetics & Speech Science

A speech scientist has recently become interested in aspects of nasal consonant productions, as they have been working on a project regarding hyper and hyponasality. The speech scientist finds that nasal consonants have a low-frequency nasal formant because the nasal cavity acts as which of the following?

• A side cavity, resulting in a zero between F1 and F2

• A side cavity, resulting in a low-frequency F1

• The largest resonating cavity, resulting in a zero between F1 and F2

• The largest resonating cavity, resulting in a low-frequency F1

Answer explanation

In nasal consonants, the oral cavity acts as a side cavity (a resonating cavity with no direct connection to the outer air). The nasal cavity is the largest of the three resonating cavities (pharynx, oral cavity, and nasal cavity), so it has the lowest frequency. Since air resonates in the nasal cavity during nasal consonants, F1 is at its lowest for nasal sounds.

What is a sinusoid?

• A sound consisting of multiple frequencies

• A sound consisting of a single frequency

• The peak amplitude observed in a spectrum

• A complex sound produced by vocal fold vibration

In the source-filter theory of speech production, what acts as the source?

• Vocal fold vibration

• Supralaryngeal vocal tract

• Sound radiation from the lips

• Speech

An SLP is using spectrographic analysis to compare voiced and voiceless phonemes. Using this analysis method, the SLP would expect that, compared to voiced stops, word-initial voiceless stops in English are expected to have which feature?

• Shorter voice onset time

• Longer voice onset time

• More compact spectrum

• More diffuse spectrum

Answer explanation

Voice onset time (VOT) duration distinguishes voiced and voiceless stops, with voiceless stops having longer VOTs, especially in the word-initial position. A compact versus a diffuse spectrum distinguishes the place of articulation for stops, with bilabial stops having diffuse falling spectra, alveolar stops having diffuse rising spectra, and velar stops having compact spectra.

What is characteristic of stop consonants on a spectrogram?

• A period of silence followed by a burst

• Continuous high-frequency noise

• A low-frequency formant

• Close resemblance to vowels

The /r/ and /l/ sounds may both be categorized as

• rhotics

• glides

• laterals

• liquids

An SLP is analyzing a spectogram of an utterance made up of three phonemes. The first phoneme demonstrates a low-frequency nasal formant. The second phoneme is a vowel with high F1 and high F2. The third phoneme consists of a short period of voicing followed by closure and then frication noise. Which is the MOST LIKELY utterance captured on the spectrogram?

• Madge

• Badge

• More

• Four

Answer explanation

Because the first phoeme has a low-frequency formant, it can be assumed that the first phoneme is a nasal consonant. The second phoneme has a high F1 and high F2 so it can be assumed to be a low front vowel. Finally, the final consonant demonstrates a short period of voicing followed by closure and then frication, so it can be assumed to be an affricate. madge has a nasl followed by a low front vowel followed by an affricate.

The manner of articulation refers to

• The degree of constriction of the vocal tract during consonant production

• The actions of the primary articulators

• The vocal fold vibrations during speech

• A distinction between consonants and vowels

A semivowel that can be categorized as a voiced bilabial glide that is + anterior and + continuant is the

• /j/

• /w/

• /sh/

• /r/

Diacritical marks are

• useful in making broad phonetic transcription

• useful in making narrow phonetic transcription that gives more detailed information on a speaker's phonetic characteristics

• not useful in transcribing disordered speech

• used only in the analysis of speech with a foreign accent