Trade-offs in tongue, jaw, and palatecontributions to speech production

Abstract

This study examined the interarticulatory behaviors of the tongue,jaw, and palate. The effects of the vowels [i] and [α] on the consonants [l] and [s] were studied using electropalatography (EPG), Selspot, and Ultrasound imaging. Three subjects repeated [ilila], [alol∂], [isis∂], and [asas∂] five times each. Tongue-palate contact patterns, jaw position, and cross-sectional tongue surface profiles were measured. Results indicated that assimilation effects on one articulator could elicit compensatory maneuvers in a related articulator to assure that key articulators reached their target. This effect was similar to compensatory maneuvers resulting from experimentally-induced jaw perturbations. The study also was able to represent the vocal tract constriction with just two degrees of freedom: shape and openness. Finally, if the jaw was moderately high, tongue shape and EPG pattern relationships could be determined.