English Voicing Research Articles

The phonological determinants of tone in English loanwords in Mandarin

This paper presents the results of a corpus study and an online loanword adaptation experiment examining the tonal adaptation of English loanwords in Mandarin. Using maximum entropy models, I control for the substantial influences of lexical tone distributions and standardisation, and uncover phonological determinants of tone beyond these lexical and conventional factors. The most important phonological determinant of tone in the corpus was English voicing, while in the experiment it was English stress-aligned pitch contours. I argue that these distinct tonal adaptation patterns constitute two different perceptual mappings, one from F0 perturbations to tone and the other from English intonation to tone, both arising due to particular borrowing contexts. I suggest that increasingly close contact between English and Mandarin may lead to more intonation-driven tonal adaptation in the latest wave of borrowing. The maximum entropy approach holds promise for the analysis of complex cases of tonal adaptation in other languages.

일본인 청자의 영어 폐쇄음 유무성 지각에 미치는 VOT와 F0의 영향

일본인 청자의 영어 폐쇄음 유무성 지각에 미치는 VOT와 F0의 영향

The role of voice onset time in the perception of English voicing contrasts in children’s speech

The perception of phonemic voicing distinctions is typically attributed mainly to voice onset time (VOT). Most previous research focusing on voicing discrimination used synthetic speech stimuli varying in VOT. Results of this work suggest that adult listeners show stable crossover boundaries in the 20-35 ms range. However, no research has evaluated how VOT values correspond to adult labeling regardless of whether the intended target is voiced or voiceless. The present study obtained adult labeling data for natural productions of bilabial and alveolar pairs produced by 2-3-year-old monolingual, English-speaking children. Randomized stimuli were presented twice to 20 listeners resulting in 5,760 rated stimuli. Stimuli were categorized as short VOT ( 35 ms). The findings show that listeners demonstrated the greatest accuracy for bilabials (>99%) and alveolars (>92%) when the target matched the expected VOT duration (i.e., doe → short lag and toe → long lag). As...

Longitudinal observations of typical English voicing acquisition in a 2-year-old child: Stability of the contrast and considerations for clinical assessment

Early assessment of phonetic and phonological development requires knowledge of typical versus atypical speech patterns, as well as the range of individual developmental trajectories. The nature of data reporting in previous literature on typical voicing acquisition left aspects of the developmental process unclear and limited clinical applicability. This work extends a previous four-month group study to present data for one child over 12 months. Words containing initial /b p d t/ were elicited from a monolingual English-speaking 2-year-old child biweekly for 25 sessions. Voice onset time (VOT) was measured for each stop. For each consonant and recording session, we measured range as well as accuracy, overshoot and discreteness calculated for means and individual tokens. The results underscore the value of token-by-token analyses. They further reveal that typical development may involve an extended period of fluctuating voicing patterns, suggesting that the voiced/voiceless contrast may take months or years to stabilise.

Production of English Voicing Contrast in Different Prosodic Conditions by Tonal and Non-tonal Korean Dialect Speakers

The use of phonetic correlates of Korean stops was found to be different among different dialect speakers, showing that Seoul speakers rely on both voice onset time (VOT) and fundamental frequency (f0), while Kyungsang speakers mainly use VOT in a three-way contrast among voiceless stops of Korean. Drawing on the relative use of phonetic cues by Korean tonal and non-tonal dialect speakers, this paper investigates how the two dialect speakers use phonetic cues for voicing contrast of English stops across different prosodic phrasings and accent conditions. Seoul and Kyungsang dialect speakers were asked to produce English voiceless and voiced stops in IP (intonational phrase) and Wd (word) levels under accented and unaccented conditions. The two dialect speakers showed different use of phonetic cues to signal the voicing contrast of English stops across different prosodic conditions. Compared to Seoul speakers, Kyungsang dialect speakers put more weight on the use of the VOT to enhance the voicing contrast of English stops in the higher prosodic position and accent condition. On the other hand, Seoul and Kyungsang dialect speakers used the onset of f0 in contrasting English voiced and voiceless stops across different prosodic conditions in a similar way. Both dialect speakers showed the significant difference in the onset f0 for English voiced and voiceless stops only in the accented condition regardless of prosodic phrasing. (Hanyang University)

A study of asymmetry relations between perception and production in the word-final stop voicing

This study tries to investigate whether the main acoustic properties in the production differ from those in the perception. The experimental design is intended to support the hypothesis that phonetic cues with equal amounts of acoustic information by production should be reinterpreted in the perception level. In the experiments, how the real prominent cues influence perceiving English stop voicing is examined. The results from both experiments clearly prove the asymmetry between production and perception. Even though phonetic cues measured in the production exert similar statistical significance, they could be re-ordered or rearranged in the level of perception. Through the experiments, this study supports the weak or indirect theory between the two.

English Voicing Assimilation

Park, Jeong-hee. “English Voicing Assimilation.” Studies on English Language & Literature. 35.4(2009): 291-306. This paper shows the explanation of English Voicing Assimilation by means of using the interaction with markedness constraints and faithfulness constraints within Optimality Theory. By using the binary obstruent voicing features, [+voice] and [-voice], as well as by changing the definition of AGREE into AGREE/σ we can explain the progressive and regressive assimilation. Also, we separate two levels of affixation: derivational affixes relating to regressive assimilation and inflectional affixes for progressive assimilation. (Sogang University)

English voicing in dimensional theory

Assuming a framework of privative features, this paper interprets two apparently disparate phenomena in English phonology as structurally related: the lexically specific voicing of fricatives in plural nouns like wives or thieves and the prosodically governed “flapping” of medial /t/ (and /d/) in North American varieties – which we claim is itself not a rule per se, but rather a consequence of the laryngeal weakening of fortis /t/ in interaction with speech-rate determined segmental abbreviation. Taking as our point of departure the Dimensional Theory of laryngeal representation developed by Avery and Idsardi [Avery, Peter, Idsardi, William, 2001. Laryngeal dimensions, completion and enhancement. In: Alan Hall, T., (Ed.), Distinctive Feature Theory. de Gruyter, Berlin, pp. 41–70], along with their assumption that English marks voiceless obstruents but not voiced ones [Iverson, Gregory K., Salmons, Joseph C., 1995. Aspiration and laryngeal representation in Germanic. Phonology 12, 369–396], we find that an unexpected connection between fricative voicing and coronal flapping emerges from the interplay of familiar phonemic and phonetic factors in the phonological system.

English Voicing Assimilation in Affixed Forms

English Voicing Assimilation in Affixed Forms

English Voicing Assimilation: Input-to-Output [±voice] and Output-to-Input [±voice

English Voicing Assimilation: Input-to-Output [±voice] and Output-to-Input [±voice

Underlying Mechanism for Categorical Perception: Tone-Onset Time and Voice-Onset Time Evidence of Hebrew Voicing

The nature of the mechanism responsible for the categorical labeling of stimuli is not clear. One hypothesis suggests that categorization is limited by the 'natural sensitivities' of the auditory system. The alternative hypothesis suggests that categorization is mediated by a special speech mode and is influenced by how speech is produced. The present study attempts to provide some insight into this dilemma by evaluating categorical perception (CP) in speech and non-speech stimuli and across languages. Specifically, the goals of the present study were (1) to compare phonetic boundaries of Hebrew voicing to categorical boundaries (CB) of a two-tone complex which varies in the relative timing of the two tones (TOT) [TOT stimuli are considered be the non-speech analog to voice-onset time (VOT)], and (2) to re-establish the CB values of non-speech analog to voicing in American-English speakers using the same TOT continua as the Hebrew speakers and to compare them to CB of Hebrew-speaking subjects. Our assumption was that if CP is mediated by basic auditory sensitivity then we expect similar CB for speech and non-speech stimuli and no effect of language on CB. If, however, a special speech code determines CP, then phonetic boundaries are expected to be different from CB of non-speech stimuli and across languages. Of particular interest is the special case of Hebrew whose voice-voiceless distinction in production is very different from that in English. Twelve Hebrew-speaking adults and 12 American-English speaking adults participated in this study. Stimuli consisted of (a) a two-tone complex continuum that varied in the relative onset time of the lower tone from a lead of -100 ms to a lag of +50 ms in 10 ms steps, and (b) a /ba-pa/ continuum which varied in VOT values similar to (a). Subjects identified TOT stimuli as belonging to one of three categories: leading, simultaneous, or lagging. VOT stimuli were labeled as /ba/ or /pa/. Results show (a) different phonetic boundary for Hebrew voicing compared to published data on English voicing, (b) different category boundaries for speech and non-speech stimuli in Hebrew, (c) a phonetic boundary for Hebrew voicing that does not align with the VOT values of production, and (d) very similar CB for TOT stimuli in Hebrew- and American-English-speaking subjects. The data support the influence of both general auditory abilities and unique speech processes on categorical perception of speech.

Lexical Phonology and the Fricative Voicing Rule

The Old English fricative voicing rule (FVR) has been variously formulated in both linear and nonlinear frameworks, yet to no complete satisfaction. Moreover, no attempt has yet been made to define the nature of the FVR and its status in lexical phonology. The peculiarity of the rule is that it has both lexical and postlexical properties. In general, a lexical rule is structure preserving and a postlexical rule nonstructure preserving; hence, a lexical rule should not create novel allophonic, nonneutralizing segments absent from the underlying inventory. However, unlike other non-structure-preserving rules, the FVR does not apply across the board—it applies only lexically, inside morphemes in nonderived words or stems and in derived words only across inflectional suffix boundaries. In the following discussion, linear and nonlinear versions of the FVR are first reviewed, followed by the restatement of the FVR as lexical but noncyclic and nonstructure preserving—that is, as a word-level rule that applies at level 3 to nonderived and derived forms. It is argued that since the rule introduces nondistinctive segments, it is therefore problematic for both the strict cycle condition and structure preservation, but if the rule operates on underspecified segments, all these problems can be avoided.

Perception of English Voicing by Native and Nonnative Adults

Recordings of naturally produced stop-vowel English words with a wide range of voice onset time values were used to investigate nonnative perception of voicing categories. L2 learners of English from nine language groups and native American English speakers served as subjects. The responses of the language learners suggested that they were using a hybrid perceptual system, one in which the English voicing categories were not yet fully established.

Could temporal order differences underlie 2-month-olds' discrimination of English voicing contrasts?

Previous studies have shown that infants discriminate voice onset time (VOT) differences for certain speech contrasts categorically. In addition, investigations of nonspeech processing by infants also yield evidence of categorical discrimination of temporal-order differences. These findings have led some researchers to argue that common auditory mechanisms underlie the infant's discrimination of timing differences in speech and nonspeech contrasts [e.g., Jusczyk et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 67, 262-270 (1980)]. Nevertheless, some discrepancies in the location of the infant's category boundaries for different kinds of contrasts have been noted [e.g., Eilers et al. (1980)]. Because different procedures were used to study the different kinds of contrasts, interpretation of the discrepancies between the studies has been difficult. In the present study, three different continua were examined: [ba]-[pa] stimuli, which differed in VOT; [du]-[tu] stimuli, which differed in VOT but which lacked format transitions; nonspeech formant onset time (FOT) stimuli that varied in the time that lower harmonics increased in amplitude. An experiment with adults indicated a close match between the perceptual boundaries for the three series. Similarly, tests with 2-month-old infants using high amplitude sucking procedure yielded estimates of perceptual category boundaries at between 20 and 40 ms for all three stimulus series.

Acquisition of the English Voicing Contrast By Arab Children

Children are typically more proficient than adults in learning the phonetic detail of a second language. The purpose of this study was to investigate the acquisition of the English voicing contrast as cued by voice onset time in syllable-initial position and preconsonantal vowel duration in final position in the speech of children whose native language is Arabic. The children, 24 to 135 months in age, were recorded producing minimal pairs differing in the voicing of consonants. Voice onset time and vowel duration were measured from spectrograms. Children were highly variable in their mastery of the voicing contrast. For this sample, neither age nor experience with English could predict phonetic proficiency.

Non-segmental structure in foreign accent

Typological studies have shown that “voicing” contrast for obstruents is more marked in syllable-final position and least marked in initial position. Also, implicational universal relations suggest that fricatives are more marked than stops and voiced segments are more marked than voiceless ones. The markedness differential hypothesis (MDH) whose underlying claims stem from such studies predicts that syllable-final voicing contrast should be difficult for Germans speaking English since German neutralizes voicing in a marked position. MDH, also, predicts more difficulty for Arabs with English /v/ than with /p/, which are absent from Arabic phonemic inventory, on the basis of markedness. A spectrographic test of English minimal pairs spoken by ten Germans, however, revealed that Germans have acquired control of English voicing in syllable-final position. Another spectrographic test of English minimal pairs spoken by eight Arabs revealed that they had considerable difficulty learning the correlates of English voicing. These results prove that MDH can not correctly predict the relative degree of difficulty in second language aquisition. Instead we propose that nonsegmental similarities and/or differences between languages play an important role in second language acquisition. Thus, due to the similarity between English and German and the differences between English and Arabic with respect to vowel duration difference as a function of voicing, Germans contrasted English obstruents for voicing but Arabs did not. [Research supported by Yarmouk University.]

Consonant/vowel ratio as a cue for voicing in English.

Several experiments investigate voicing judgments in minimal pairs likerabid-rapid when the duration of the first vowel and the medial stop are varied factorially and other cues for voicing remain ambiguous. In Experiments 1 and 2, in which synthetic labial and velar-stop voicing pairs are investigated, the perceptual boundary along a continuum of silent consonant durations varies in constant proportion to increases in the duration of the preceding vocalic interval. In Experiment 3, it is shown that speaking tempo external to the test word has far smaller effects on a closure duration boundary for voicing than does the tempo within the test word. Experiment 4 shows that, even within the word, it is primarily the preceding vowel that accounts for changes in the consonant duration effects. Furthermore, in Experiments 3 and 4, the effects of timing outside the vowel-consonant interval are independent of the duration of that interval itself. These findings suggest that consonant/vowel ratio serves as a primary acoustic cue for English voicing in syllable-final position and imply that this ratio possibly is directly extracted from the speech signal.

Discrimination of voice onset time in infancy.

In an effort to determine whether infants can discriminate speech sounds on the basis of a single acoustic cue, timing onset of periodic voicing, two experiments were conducted employing synthetic speech sounds. Naturally produced syllable pairs were also used for comparison. In the first experiment infants evidenced discrimination of a naturally produced /ba/ versus /pa/ pair and a naturally /du/ versus /tu/ pair. In addition, infants discriminated a synthetic /ba/ versus /pa/ contrast that was cued by several acoustic differences in addition to timing onset of periodic voicing but failed to evidence an ability to discriminate a synthetic /du/ versus /tu/ contrast that contained flat first formants and differed only in timing onset of periodic voicing. A second experiment was conducted in which infants once again evidenced discrimination of naturally produced /du/ versus /tu/ stimuli but not of synthetic /du/ versus /tu/ stimuli containing slight first-formant transitions. These results suggest that timing onset of periodic voicing alone may not be a sufficient cue for infant discrimination of English voicing contrasts.