Patterns for consonant transitions—An iceberg model

Abstract

Using pellet movement data, obtained by the x-ray microbeam system at the University of Tokyo [S. Kiritani, K. Itoh, and O. Fujimura, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 57, 1516–1520 (1975)], articulatory movement patterns for the tongue and the lower lip have been analyzed for a variety of material, including difference in emphasis placement and different phrasing patterns in sentences. An automatic pattern matching program has compared pairs of sentences to assess relative invariance of iceberg patterns [O. Fujimura, Phonetica 38, 66–83 (1981)]. Preliminary results indicate that emphasis conditions the movement distance strongly, but its effect on the consistency of the crucial parts of the transitions is not apparent.