Acoustic characteristics of Swedish dorsal fricatives

Abstract

The identity of [“hooktop heng”], the “voiceless dorso-palatal/velar fricative” or “simultaneous” [“esh”] and [x], is controversial (IPA 2009: 140, 203). The present study attempts to acoustically differentiate [“esh”], [x], and (non-labialized) [“hooktop heng”]. A female speaker of Stockholm Swedish produced VCV nonsense words with balanced V and alternating C. Windowed spectra were obtained and averaged at various locations in the fricatives. [“esh”] can be reliably differentiated from [x] and [“hooktop heng”] based on center of gravity measures in the middle of the fricative. However, center of gravity differences between [x] and [“hooktop heng”] are not revealing, confirming Lindblad's x-ray tracings (1980: 89). The most robust acoustic difference between the two dorsal fricatives is the presence of erratic, high-amplitude disturbances during [x]. These may be attributed to sudden explosions of saliva and ephemeral contact with the uvula, more likely for slightly-retracted [x] than for [“hooktop heng”]. It seems unlikely that [“hooktop heng”] is produced with a second simultaneous constriction that is of acoustic relevance. International Phonetic Association. 1999. Handbook of the International Phonetic Association. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Lindblad, P. 1980. Svenskans sje- och tje-ljud i ett Allmänfonetisk perspektiv. Travaux de l'Institut de linguistique de Lund 16. Lund: LiberLäromedel/Gleerup.