Commonality in the dorsal articulations of English vowels and liquids

Abstract

Phonological studies have predicted that the dorsal articulations of English /r/ and /l/ correspond with those of schwa and open o, respectively [Gick, Phonology (in press)]. Specifically, /r/ and schwa are hypothesized to share pharyngeal configuration, while /l/ and open o share upper pharyngeal/uvular configuration. To test this prediction, midsagittal MRI images of the vocal tract of a male speaker of American English were collected and midsagittal distance (of airspace above the tongue surface) measured at 44 3-mm intervals along the vocal tract length. Regions of the vocal tract were defined as pharyngeal, uvular and oral, as in Whalen et al. [JSLHR (in press)], with the pharyngeal region divided into upper and lower halves. Midsagittal distances were collected for eleven sustained vowels plus /r/ and /l/. Distances for average vowels were subtracted point by point from /r/ and /l/ and a single rms calculated within each region of the vocal tract. As predicted, in the upper pharyngeal and upper pharyngeal/uvular regions, /l/ showed the greatest correspondence with open o, while /r/ was most similar to schwa throughout the pharynx. These results support the phonological interpretation of the dorsal gestures of English liquids as vocalic. [Work supported by NIH grant DC-02717.]