Spectral compositions of voiced initial stops reveal that these consonants are longer in intensity than those in medial or final position. In final stops the vocal cords are more closed than they are in initial stops and oscillation is richer. (SC)

Research supported by the Joint Speech Research Unit. (DD)

The following three levels of intonation are described, and their relationship is discussed: 1) a concrete and atomistic level of the perceptually relevant pitch movements, 2) a concrete and global level of the audible pitch contours and the measurable fundamental frequency curves, and 3) an abstract and global level of intonation patterns.…

The salience of voiced onset time (VOT) as a voicing cue for initial stop-vowel units is examined. VOT duration was altered. Findings did not indicate that changes in VOT duration altered the perception of voicing. Aspiration more than VOT seems to be more important in the detection of voicing. (SC)

Investigates the principles underlying the perception of vowel stimuli. The results support Chistovich's claim. When judging the distance between synthetic vowel stimuli, speakers refer to the phonemic structure of their native language. They determine the phonemes closest to the stimuli and then compare the phonemes and not the stimuli…

Describes studies of voice onset time in Spanish and an acoustic feature termed presence versus absence of an abrupt consonant onset. It is suggested that this feature may be used by the Spanish listener in making a perceptual distinction between voiced and voiceless stop consonants in multiple environments. (Author/KM)

A pneumotachographic investigation of intervocalic /p/, /t/ and /k/ was undertaken to isolate physiological parameters responsible for coarticulatory air-flow phenomena. Airflow was most sensitive during the /k/ closure phase. The dynamics of the closure phase for each place of articulation and their implications for pneumotachography are…

Allophonic variations in the quality and voicelessness of British English Received Pronunciation /1/ were investigated, largely through their acoustic correlates as revealed by spectrography. (Author/RM)

Research supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health. (DD)

A spectrographic investigation was carried out on the speech of normal hearing and deaf speakers; the research attempted to answer questions concerning formant transitions, coarticulation and neutralization of vowels in the speech of the deaf adults. (Author/RM)

Reports on the effects of oral anaesthesia and auditory masking on various aspects of speech articulation as objectively quantified by electropalatography and sound spectrography. The results show changes in speech production caused by altered tactile and auditory feedback. (Author/TL)

Acoustic properties of retroflex consonants were determined and interpreted in terms of acoustic theory. The results are considered in relation to a quantal theory, auditory property detectors, and theoretical notions of markedness. (Author/TL)

Establishes the relationship between linguistic stress and fundamental frequency and the intonation contours in short declarative sentences, interrogative sentences, and nonterminal clauses in Advanced Standard Copenhagen Danish. The work is based on acoustical analyses of recordings by four subjects. (Author/EJS)

Measurements of the fundamental frequencies of Danish vowels showed a positive correlation with tongue height. The fundamental frequency differences between high and low vowels were greatest in long vowels in stressed position, while short vowels in unstressed position differed to a much lesser degree. (Author/EJS)