Electropalatography examination of groove width in Russian

Abstract

Previous studies have indicated a difference between voiced and voiceless pairs of consonants with respect pre-constriction vocal tract volume. This article utilizes electropalatography (EPG) to examine the anterior and posterior groove width of palatalized and non-palatalized fricative pairs in Russians in order to observe different degrees of pre-constriction vocal tract volume. Measurements were taken at the point of maximum constriction using Articulate Assistant software. Higher degrees of contact with the palate were taken to indicate smaller pre-constriction vocal tract volume. The results (based on a single speaker), indicate a significant difference in the degree of contact with the palate between the voiced and voiceless pairs of non-palatalized fricatives. However, the palatalized consonants indicated no significant difference in the degree of contact with the palate. The findings suggest that the smaller vocal cavity created by the secondary articulatory gesture for palatalization is sufficient to facilitate voicing and frication; in the case of the voiced fricatives, the sub-glottal pressure is adjusted to permit vibration of the vocal cords. The findings further suggest that speakers adhere to the principle of minimal articulatory effort when producing speech.