Release Burst and Formant Transition as Acoustic Cues for English Stop Consonants Perception by Native Speakers of Indian Languages

Abstract

Acoustic cues, burst and formant transition, are investigated for English stop consonant perception by native speakers of Indian languages. Synthesized initial stop CV syllables are used. Burst is found to be usually of low intensity and nearly invariant for labials and apicals. It is not at all important in perception of labials, but carries a significant perceptual weight for velars, and is a sufficient cue for /di/. Formant transition though perceptually very important is not a sufficient cue for velars /gV/, /di/ & /de/. These results offer further evidence to perceptual importance of front cavity resonance, serving as a simplifying reference to articulation. Hence pointing at the functional equivalence of the two cues. Both providing a spectrally continuous change from the release into the following vowel. In general we suggest that burst carries perceptual weight only when its spectrum is near to the front cavity resonance of the vowel. And formant transition though very important, is a sufficient c...