Recognizing Changes in Hebrew Vowel Height and Vowel Place Using One Formant Only

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a change of one formant only is sufficient to shift the recognition of one vowel category to another. Two sets of vowel continua were constructed from a naturally produced /o/. In one continuum, F2 was varied to shift from /o/ to /e/, and in the other F1 was varied to shift from /o/ to /u/. Identification curves were then collected from 20 normal-hearing female subjects. Results indicated that change in F2 was sufficient for all participants to shift from /o/ to /e/. In contrast, F1 was sufficient to shift from /o/ to /u/ for only half the participants. When a shift in perception occurred it was categorical in nature. These data suggest that in Hebrew, listeners probably use additional/other cues to perceive the vowel height contrast. Implications for vowel perception in special populations such as hearing-impaired with cochlear implants are discussed.