Articulatory properties of the sibilants [ , ] and non-sibilant [ ] were studied for VCV syllables in Japanese, using the technique of electropalatography. We examined the relation between constriction width and location, and the nature of coarticulatory variability and directionality, specific to the two fricative categories. The results allow us to discuss the phonetic basis of the ‘precision...

Articulatory properties of the sibilants [ , ] and non-sibilant [ ] were studied for VCV syllables in Japanese, using the technique of electropalatography. We examined the relation between constriction width and location, and the nature of coarticulatory variability and directionality, specific to the two fricative categories. The results allow us to discuss the phonetic basis of the ‘precision...

The mechanisms involved in speech production are complex and have thus been subject to growing attention by the scientific community. It has been demonstrated that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a powerful means in the understanding of the morphology of the vocal tract. Over the last few years, statistical deformable models have been successfully used to identify and characterize bones and...

The main characteristics of dysarthria in Parkinson's disease (PD) are monotony of pitch and loudness, reduced stress, variable speech rate, imprecise consonants, and breathy and harsh voice. Earlier treatment studies have shown that dysarthria is less responsive to both pharmacological and surgical treatments than other gross motor symptoms. Recent findings have suggested that repetitive trans...

Two experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that listeners would modify perceptual strategies for phonetic identification if the spectrum of a speech signal was degraded. The contrasts between tense and lax vowels and between word-final s/z were selected because of the primacy of spectral cues and redundancy of temporal cues used in normal listening situations. In the first experiment...

In the process of phonological development, fricatives are generally assumed to be later acquired than stops. However, most of the observational work on which this claim is based has concerned itself with word-initial onset consonants; little is known about how and when fricatives are mastered in word-final coda position (e.g., nose). This is all the more critical in a language like English, wh...

PURPOSE To describe the articulation of the Brazilian Portuguese, by examining the tongue-palate contact in the production of consonantal phones. METHODS The electropalatography (EPG) of the alveolar consonants of the Brazilian Portuguese produced by an individual with typical speech was used, considering the alveolar, post-alveolar, palatal, and velar rates, as well as the percentage of acti...

This paper presents the results of a first acoustic phonetic investigation into voiceless spirantization in the variety of Tuscan Italian spoken in Siena. Based on spontaneous speech data (6 speakers), we focus upon occurrences of a phonetic variant, previously referred to as a ‘‘semi-fricative’’. Intermediate between a voiceless stop and a voiceless fricative, it is reported to occur in Pisan ...