This technical paper analyzes the primary level of rhythm in English verse: that created by the numerical, sequential, and temporal patterns of the sounds of syllables and silences. (AN)

Investigated whether college students' lexical access is affected by inherent acoustic variations that contribute to the identity of a phonetic feature. Results suggest that activation levels of words in the lexicon are graded, depending on the subphonetic shape of the input word, and that words phonologically similar to the test words are also…

The technique of "voiceprint identification" has been invested with a myth of infallibility, largely by means of a specious analogy with fingerprints. The refusal of its chief proponent to submit to a properly controlled test of his ability, coupled with the inability of observers in independent studies to get comparably low error rates,…

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)

A study of the opposition in terms of duration between long and short vowels in the German phonological system. Tables, graphs and analyses accompany the conclusions discussed. Since physical time is not the only distinctive feature, loss of the temporal cue is compensated for by spectral cues. (Text is in French.) (AMH)

An analysis of rhythm in French. The research project concentrated on two points: the perception of a "click" superimposed on an utterance and the reproduction of the click by a knock simultaneous with the stimulus. Conclusions based on linguistic and non-linguistic aspects are drawn. (Text is in French.) (AMH)

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…

Develops a method of analyzing and describing the acoustic properties of fricatives, which consists of making frequency spectra using the Fast Fourier Transform and then analyzing the spectra in terms of critical bands. The six fricatives of Chinese are analyzed by this method, and comparison with other languages is made. (SED)

Argues that statistical analysis of the potential distinctiveness of near-merged contrastive pairs must simultaneously take into account several acoustical dimensions. Discriminant analysis of the speech of five Utah speakers distinguished near-merged contrasts but not homophones, suggesting that discriminant analysis is useful in assessing…

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)

A nasal separator was used to measure the oral and nasal components in the speech of a normal adult Australian population. Results indicated no difference in oral and nasal sound pressure levels for read versus spontaneous speech samples; however, females tended to have a higher nasal component than did males. (Author/TL)

The author addresses the need for a new acoustic recognition strategy, extending the position that any adequate grammar of a language must distinguish between auditory and articulatory knowledge. Reviewing the existing literature and theories of language and its acquisition, the author discusses their limitations and inadequacies in accounting for…