ASA 127th Meeting M.I.T. 1994 June 6-10

4pSP25. Fundamental frequency effects on [voice] judgments in intervocalic stop consonants.

Dept. of Psychol., Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX 78712

Fundamental frequency (F0) has been found to affect judgments of the [+voice]/[-voice] distinction in initial consonants. The present study examined the influence of F0 contour on [voice] judgments of intervocalic consonants. Sixteen /aba/--/apa/ series, each varying in medical closure duration, were synthesized with different F0 contours. Each contour was defined by the F0 value, either 95 or 110 Hz, at four temporal points: First syllable onset, onset of closure, onset of voicing after closure release, and second syllable offset. F0 transitions before or after closure lasted 70 ms. Results showed that both steady-state and transitional portion of the F0 contour influenced [voice] judgments, and that F0 cues in the initial syllable had larger and more reliable effects than those in the final syllable. In general, the lower the F0 value at a given temporal point in the disyllable, the greater the percentage of [+voice] judgments. [Work supported by NIDCD.]