Stress effects on voicing and frication in voiced obstruents in north-central Spanish

Abstract

In Spanish /b, d, g/ are usually realized as voiced approximants in all sylllabic contexts unless following a stop—a phenomenon called spirantization. However, in North-Central Peninsular Spanish (NCS) voiceless fricatives rather than voiced approximants are produced. In the majority of cases this occurs in stressed syllables. This study examines whether stress is a factor in the likelihood of frication and devoicing of coda /b, d, g/ in this dialect. Nine native speakers of NCS were recorded producing nonce words with /b, d, g/ in coda position in both stressed and unstressed syllables. Measurements were made of vowel and consonant duration, presence and absence of frication and voicing, and voicing duration. The results indicate that frication is more likely in stressed syllables than in unstressed syllables. This suggests that in stressed syllables a higher subglottal pressure produces higher airflow across the glottis, favoring frication. In turn, frication inhibits voicing due to conflicting aerodynamic requirements between the two. It is concluded that stress is a factor in spirantization and that it may indirectly affect the voicing properties of /b, d, g/. [Work supported by Del Amo and the Basque Government.]