Control of larynx height in vowel production

Digital video filming of the thryroid prominence was used to measure larynx height in German vowels, with focus on contrasts involving front unrounded, front rounded and back rounded vowels. The study aimed to provide a foundation for interpreting the acoustic consequences of articulatory manoeuvres not only at the larynx but also elsewhere in the vocal tract. Results showed the expected pattern of lower larynx position for the rounded vowels. However no clear preference emerged for the same, more, or less larynx lowering on front rounded versus back rounded vowels. Coarticulatory effects of the flanking consonants were weak. The most striking result was that the magnitude of the differences between vowels varied substantially over speakers. This reinforces the contention that interpretation of vertical laryngeal gestures must be embedded in speaker-specific analysis of downstream articulatory manoeuvres.