Specific duration and specific tongue height of vowels

Abstract

The hypothesis that intrinsic duration of vowels correlated with tongue height is dependent on the extent of the articulatory movements is refuted. If one chooses vowels in a consonantal environment which allow far-reaching co-articulation (vowels between bilabial consonants), the phenomenon of intrinsic duration still remains. The same is valid for whispered vowels. The phenomenon of intrinsic pitch is confirmed. The author establishes the hypothesis that intrinsic duration and intrinsic pitch of vowels are a matter of compensation conditioned by different resonance factors of the vocal tract when high and low vowels are produced.