Voice quality variation over the course of the English utterance

Abstract

The presence of atypical voice quality (e.g. breathy and creaky voice) can be used to diagnose voice disorders, but it is also clear that healthy English speakers’ voices vary as a function of phrasing. For example, ends of declarative utterances tend to be produced with creakier voice quality. Yet for speakers who have no diagnosed voice disorder, it is still unclear what factors affect voice variation over an utterance, and how consistent these variations are across speakers. This in turn limits diagnostic utility of perceived non-modal voice. Therefore, the goal of this project is to determine how the voice varies over the course of English utterances. We recorded electroglottographic (EGG) and audio waveforms of 20 male and female speakers of Californian English reading sentences of various lengths that were designed to avoid non-modal voice associated with certain segments. The EGG waveforms were analyzed for contact quotient and f0 at the beginning, middle, and end of the utterance. Discussion will focus on how voice quality differs by position in utterance, and the extent to which it is predictable from f0. We also discuss whether voice quality varies as a function of gender, utterance length, and speakers’ average voice quality.