Supraglottal air pressure and lingual occlusion in midvoalic stop consonant production

Abstract

Five males produced VCV syllables in isolation and within a carrier phrase where C represents the stop consonants /t, d/ and V the vowels /i, a/. Simultaneous measures of supraglottal air pressure ( P o ) and air flow were recorded to describe the lingual articulatory gesture; the rise and decay of P o were correlated with the closure and release of the lingual valve respectively (defined through the agent of air flow). The results demonstrated that lingual oclusion always followed the rise in P o whereas decay of P o was either simultaneous with or followed after the release of the articulatory gesture. These results are discussed as to how temporal measurements provide a sensitive index to define the articulatory production of stop consonants.