Phonological Characteristics Research Articles

A Study on the Improvement of Pronunciation of AI Vocal Voice Synthesis based on Phonological Characteristics

A Study on the Improvement of Pronunciation of AI Vocal Voice Synthesis based on Phonological Characteristics

Esperanto, Klingon and Toki Pona: evaluating non-speaker perceptions of the orthographic and phonological characteristics of three popular constructed languages

ABSTRACT This article is based on preliminary research on the ways in which three well-known constructed languages – Esperanto, Klingon and Toki Pona – are perceived by non-speakers. The main aim of this research was to estimate the degree to which the perceptions of non-speakers and the intentions of the creators of these languages match. To this end, two tests were conducted on a sample of students at the University of Malaya (Universiti Malaya) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Both tests were based on association of ideas, but one test focused on reactions to the sounds of the three languages, whereas the other test focused on reactions to the scripts (Latin characters with diacritics for Esperanto, sitelen pona for Toki Pona, and pIqaD for Klingon). The written responses provided by the participants after listening to short passages and viewing carefully selected script samples suggest that the orthographic and phonological aspects of the languages evoke the intended reactions in those exposed to them.

Vocal and early speech development in Korean-acquiring children with hearing loss and typical hearing

ABSTRACT This study investigated the vocal and early speech development of Korean-acquiring children with hearing loss (HL) who underwent early auditory amplification compared to their typical hearing (TH) counterparts. The research focused on phonological characteristics of child vocalisation based on samples collected from naturalistic home environments. One-day home recordings using a Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA) recorder were obtained from 6 children with HL and 12 children with TH who ranged from 17 to 23 months of age in Korean monolingual environments. Child volubility, canonical babbling ratio (CBR), consonant distributions, and utterance structures of vocalisations were evaluated through qualitative and quantitative analyses of vocalisation samples collected from LENA recordings. The findings revealed that children with HL displayed comparable vocalisation levels to children with TH, with no significant differences in volubility and CBR. In consonant and utterance shape inventories, noticeable quantitative and qualitative differences were observed between children with HL and those with TH. The study also suggested both universal and language-specific production patterns, revealing the early effects of ambient language on consonant distributions and utterance structures within their vocalisation repertoire. This study emphasised the role of auditory input and the importance of early auditory amplification to support speech development in children with HL.

Effect of sowing date and planting method on yield and yield components of three varieties of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd)

The most important parameter for the adaptability a crop to different climates is the sowing date, as this has the greatest influence on the phonological characteristics of the plant. This study was conducted to determine the potential yield of different quinoa varieties sowed at various dates in hot and dry climates. The experiment was conducted as a split-plot experiment based on a randomized complete block design with four replications over two crop years, 2018–2019 and 2019–2020. The sowing date was considered as the main factor at four levels (October 21, October 31, November 10 and November 20), the sowing method (transplanting and seed sowing) as the sub-factor and the quinoa varieties (Gizal, Q26 and Titicaca) as the sub-sub-plot. The results showed that delays in sowing date reduced leaf area index (LAI), plant height, grain yield components, grain yield and biological yield of quinoa. The highest values for these traits were recorded for the first sowing date of October 21. Late transplanting was superior to direct seed sowing. Among the varieties studied, the Q26 variety was superior to the other two varieties in terms of growth, yield components and grain yield. The highest grain yield (2786 kg/ha) was recorded direct sowing on October 21 and the lowest (896 kg/ha) for under direct sowing on November 20 and 30, respectively. Overall, early autumn sowing was suitable for growing different quinoa varieties in the Khuzestan province due to the longer growing period and avoidance of heat stress at the end of the growing period. Transplanting did not have much advantage over early seed sowing, but was better than delayed seed sowing.

Does Brown beat Biesiada? Name fluency and electoral success

Of the myriad cues voters rely on to evaluate political candidates, only one cue is available to all voters in all candidate-based elections — the candidates’ names. Drawing upon multiple decades of election data in local and congressional elections in the United States, I examine the relationship between the processing fluency (pronounceability and commonality) of political candidates’ names and vote share. I observe a strong, positive relationship for name pronounceability and more ambiguous results for name commonality. A one-standard deviation increase in pronounceability is associated with an increased vote share of 0.8 percentage points in congressional general elections, 1.4 percentage points in congressional primary elections, and 0.29 percentage points in local elections. Despite some sensitivity to how fluency is conceptualized, these findings suggest that the phonological characteristics of candidates’ names are consequential heuristics that voters use to evaluate candidates. Future research should seek to unpack the causal processes underlying these results by disentangling the racial and ethnic cues embedded in names.

PRONUNCIATION PROBLEMS IN THAI TONES OF CENTRAL VIETNAMESE LEARNERS

The purpose of this study was to investigate the pronunciation problems of Central Vietnamese learners who study Thai as a foreign language. Six Vietnamese people were asked to pronounce a list of 203 Thai words, which are made up of four types of Thai syllables. The Praat program was used to conduct an acoustic analysis of the phonetic characteristics. The results showed that the negative transfer affected the learners’ pronunciation of the high tone [4]. On the other hand, the positive transfer affected the learners’ pronunciation of the middle [1], the low [2], the high-falling [3], and the low-rising tones [5] because these characteristics are similar to those of ngang, huyền, hỏi/nặng, and sắc in Central Vietnamese. In addition, the differences in tonal contour and in the distribution of tones related to syllable structures between the two languages have also affected the learners’ pronunciation. For the pronunciation of closed syllables with a short vowel, the learners replaced the high tone [4] with sắc by the interference phenomenon. Nevertheless, the characteristics of sắc are more similar to those of the low-rising tone [5] in Thai. The results revealed learners’ inability to distinguish between the high [4] and the low-rising tones [5]. For other tones, the learners did not have difficulty pronouncing them based on their similar phonological characteristics.

Behind the Manuscript: Jeshua Josef Mordkowicz and his unique South-Western Karaim translation of the Latter Prophets

The present paper delves into the exclusive South-Western Karaim translation of the Latter Prophets (ADub.III.83), a manuscript discovered in recent years in Poland. Copied by Jeshua Josef Mordkowicz (1802–1884) most probably in the latter half of the 19th century in Halych, this manuscript offers valuable insights into the phonological characteristics specific to Modern South-Western Karaim, distinguishing it from Mordkowicz’s earlier works. The paper includes details about the copyist’s background, a general overview of the manuscript including some of its distinctive phonological features, and provides a short excerpt of the text presented in transcription along with its English translation. The relevant parts of the facsimile are attached at the end of the article.

Influence of first language on English word stress assignment by bahdini Kurdish learners of English

Studies on learning second language (L2) phonology agree that first language (L1) has a key role in the production of learners L2. This study was carried out on Bahdini Kurdish (henceforth, BK) learners of English in order to investigate how phonological characteristics of Kurdish word stress affect the production of English word stress as far as the two languages have different stress placement rules. It was hypothesized that BK learners will face challenges in learning English stress and they will, more frequently, place stress on the final syllable of the English words, similar to their L1. Thirty students from the English Language Department at University of Zakho participated in this study. The participants completed a production test of reading 48 English words with different grammatical categories, stress positions and morphological structures. The learners’ production was recorded and listened to by the researcher and two phonologists to indicate the correct stress placement in their performance. The results show that BK learners were not able to place stress on the correct syllable of all types of words in English: simple, complex and compound. Furthermore, language transfer was not clear in the learners’ performance of the test words, that is, they did not place stress on the final syllable of the words. The learners were unaware of English stress rules and English pronunciation in general and did not properly acquire them. Mispronunciation of words and parts of the words and lack of knowledge about English stress rules, therefore, were clearly the factor of stress misplacement in all types of words.

Effects of Mother Tongue Interference in the Learning of English Intonation

The learning of English intonation by non-native speakers is a nuanced process significantly influenced by the interference of their mother tongue. This interference, often categorized under linguistic interference or language transfer, manifests in various facets of English language acquisition, including the critical aspect of intonation. Intonation, which encapsulates the variation in pitch while speaking, is integral to the effective communication and comprehension of spoken English. This study delved into the multifaceted impacts of mother tongue interference on English intonation learning, with a particular focus on how phonological and suprasegmental features of a learner's first language influence their ability to acquire and produce the correct English intonation. Through a review of existing literature and examination of practical examples, the study highlights the challenges faced by learners, especially in academic settings, and suggests potential pedagogical strategies to mitigate the negative effects of mother tongue interference. The findings underscore the necessity for a tailored approach in teaching English intonation to non-native speakers, taking into consideration the phonological characteristics of their mother tongue to foster a more conducive learning environment for mastering English intonation.

Does Orkish Sound Evil? Perception of Fantasy Languages and Their Phonetic and Phonological Characteristics.

Constructed languages, frequently invented to support world-building in fantasy and science fiction genres, are often intended to sound similar to the characteristics of the people who speak them. The aims of this study are (1) to investigate whether some fictional languages, such as Orkish whose speakers are portrayed as villainous, are rated more negatively by listeners than, for example, the Elvish languages, even when they are all produced without emotional involvement in the voice; and (2) to investigate whether the rating results can be related to the sound structure of the languages under investigation. An online rating experiment with three 7-point semantic differential scales was conducted, in which three sentences from each of 12 fictional languages (Neo-Orkish, Quenya, Sindarin, Khuzdul, Adûnaic, Klingon, Vulcan, Atlantean, Dothraki, Na'vi, Kesh, ʕuiʕuid) were rated, spoken by a female and a male speaker. The results from 129 participants indicate that Klingon and Dothraki do indeed sound more unpleasant, evil, and aggressive than the Elvish languages Sindarin and Quenya. Furthermore, this difference in rating is predicted by certain characteristics of the sound structure, such as the percentage of non-German sounds and the percentage of voicing. The implications of these results are discussed in relation to theories of language attitude.

THE ROLE OF ACCENTS IN BATU BARA MALAY COMMUNICATION

This research aims to explore the role of accent in Batu Bara Malay communication. Batu Bara Malay is a dialect of Malay spoken in Batu Bara area of North Sumatra, Indonesia and has unique phonological characteristics. This research is also to identify the characteristics of the accent in Batu Bara Malay, understand its impact in daily communication, and investigate the role of accent in communication. This research uses a combination approach of case study and phonological analysis. The data were collected through interviews with native Batu Bara Malay speakers, observations of daily communication, and analysis of voice recordings. The research results show that Batu Bara Malay has distinctive accent characteristics, including phonological variations in the use of phonemes and intonation that are different from the standard Malay or Indonesian. In the context of daily communication, the use of accents in Batu Bara Malay affects understanding and expression. Differences in accents in informal conversation and formal communication were also identified. Social and cultural factors play a role in accent variation. This research contributes to further understanding of Batu Bara Malay and the importance of maintaining this dialect. The results can be used as a basis for efforts to preserve language and culture in Batu Bara Malay community.

Acoustic properties of the monophthongs of Assamese Indian English speakers

AbstractThis study investigates acoustic properties of the monophthongal vowels of English as spoken by 20 Assamese speakers in North East India, based on their medium of education being English or Assamese. Research suggests that English in India may be converging to a more homogenous standard, at least among educated speakers, despite common first language (L1) differences (Maxwell & Fletcher, 2009; Sirsa & Redford, 2013; Wiltshire, 2020). Assamese, a member of the Indo‐Aryan language family, shares phonological characteristics with surrounding languages from the Tibeto‐Burman family. We find that the vowels of Assamese Indian English speakers maintain characteristics reflecting their L1, especially those similar to local Englishes spoken by L1 Tibeto‐Burman speakers. However, English‐medium educated speakers do more closely approximate the norms of the central Indian standard, suggesting that although North East Indian English norms diverge from those of central India, there is some convergence across India among English‐medium educated speakers, regardless of L1s.

Non-autistic persons modulate their speech rhythm while talking to autistic individuals.

How non-autistic persons modulate their speech rhythm while talking to autistic (AUT) individuals remains unclear. We investigated two types of phonological characteristics: (1) the frequency power of each prosodic, syllabic, and phonetic rhythm and (2) the dynamic interaction among these rhythms using speech between AUT and neurotypical (NT) individuals. Eight adults diagnosed with AUT (all men; age range, 24-44 years) and eight age-matched non-autistic NT adults (three women, five men; age range, 23-45 years) participated in this study. Six NT and eight AUT respondents were asked by one of the two NT questioners (both men) to share their recent experiences on 12 topics. We included 87 samples of AUT-directed speech (from an NT questioner to an AUT respondent), 72 of NT-directed speech (from an NT questioner to an NT respondent), 74 of AUT speech (from an AUT respondent to an NT questioner), and 55 of NT speech (from an NT respondent to an NT questioner). We found similarities between AUT speech and AUT-directed speech, and between NT speech and NT-directed speech. Prosody and interactions between prosodic, syllabic, and phonetic rhythms were significantly weaker in AUT-directed and AUT speech than in NT-directed and NT speech, respectively. AUT speech showed weaker dynamic processing from higher to lower phonological bands (e.g. from prosody to syllable) than NT speech. Further, we found that the weaker the frequency power of prosody in NT and AUT respondents, the weaker the frequency power of prosody in NT questioners. This suggests that NT individuals spontaneously imitate speech rhythms of the NT and AUT interlocutor. Although the speech sample of questioners came from just two NT individuals, our findings may suggest the possibility that the phonological characteristics of a speaker influence those of the interlocutor.

The Phonological Characteristics of the Vowels of Gangneung Dialect in “Gyeongsyeongyurok”

The Phonological Characteristics of the Vowels of Gangneung Dialect in “Gyeongsyeongyurok”

Phonological idiosyncrasies of the Southern Sorsogon dialect in Bulan, Philippines

This research sought to examine the Southern Sorsogon (Sso) dialect's distinctive phonetic features in Bulan, Philippines. In the urban and rural communities of Bulan in the province of Sorsogon, six native speakers were specifically selected based on the selection criteria. The qualitative text analysis approach used in this study was based on the transcripts of in-person interviews and other contacts between the researchers and native speakers. The Sso dialect's segmental sounds and phonological characteristics were examined to unravel its phonetic characteristics. The results showed that there were four vowels with unique vowel lengths [a], [i], [u], [ʊ], fourteen consonants [b], [p], [m], [d], [t], [s], [n], [r], [l], [g], [k], [ŋ], [ʔ], [h], and two semiconsonants [w], [y]. Sounds like voiced alveolar-fricative [z], labiodental [v], [f], interdental [ð], [θ], palatal-fricative [Ʒ], [ƒ], post alveolar fricative consonant [sh], and palatal-affricate [ʤ], [tʃ] were non-existent in the Sso dialect. Other features detected were the gliding consonants, the widespread use of /r/ for further plurality, the suffix /-on/ for comparative, superlative, or exaggerations, and lexical variations for emphatic expressions and even angry registers. Although this study contributes to the documentation, preservation, and enrichment of the Sso dialect for its future in machine translation, further investigations are recommended to confirm the findings.

Pearls and pitfalls in contemporary management of marginal velopharyngeal inadequacy among children with cleft palate.

Marginal velopharyngeal inadequacy (MVPI) is a particular status of velopharyngeal closure after cleft palate repair. The physiological and phonological characteristics of patients with MVPI are significantly different from those with typical velopharyngeal insufficiency. The pathological mechanisms and diagnostic criteria of MVPI are still controversial, and there is limited evidence to guide the selection of surgical and non- surgical management options and a lack of recognized standards for treatment protocols. Based on a systematic study of the relevant literatures, this review identifies specific problems that are currently under-recognized in the diagnosis and treatment of MVPI and provides guidelines for further exploration of standardized and reasonable intervention protocols for MVPI.

Exploring The Phonological Words And Syllable Analysis

This article discusses phonology and syllables in the context of language. Phonology is a branch of linguistics that studies the sounds in language and the way they are organized, whereas syllables are the basic units in spoken language that form the basic structure of words. In this article, we explore the phonological words and syllable analysis, and the importance of understanding these concepts. In the phonological world, sounds in a language are categorized based on phonological characteristics such as voicing, place and manner of pronunciation, and others. This helps us understand how sounds are organized and combined in language to form meaningful meanings. In addition, the study of phonological worlds helps identify similarities and differences between languages ??and understand the basic structure of sounds in a given language. The syllable, as the core unit in spoken language, consists of the onset, nucleus, and coda. Syllable analysis helps us understand patterns and rules in the formation of words as well as the rhythm and phonotactics of language. In syllable analysis, we separate words into syllables and study the common syllable structures in that language. An understanding of syllables also has practical implications in language learning, speech therapy, and teaching language skills. Phonological and syllable analysis methods involve identifying the sounds of a language, analyzing syllable structures, and a comparative approach to comparison with other languages. Understanding these concepts is important in gaining a broader understanding of sound systems in language and how they affect human communication. Thus, this article illustrates the importance of phonological and syllable studies in understanding language structure, highlights the analytical methods used, and demonstrates implications and practical application of this knowledge in the context of language learning, speech therapy, and teaching language skills.

Zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) demonstrate cognitive flexibility in using phonology and sequence of syllables in auditory discrimination

Zebra finches rely mainly on syllable phonology rather than on syllable sequence when they discriminate between two songs. However, they can also learn to discriminate two strings containing the same set of syllables by their sequence. How learning about the phonological characteristics of syllables and their sequence relate to each other and to the composition of the stimuli is still an open question. We compared whether and how the zebra finches’ relative sensitivity for syllable phonology and syllable sequence depends on the differences between syllable strings. Two groups of zebra finches were trained in a Go-Left/Go-Right task to discriminate either between two strings in which each string contained a unique set of song syllables (‘Different-syllables group’) or two strings in which both strings contained the same set of syllables, but in a different sequential order (‘Same-syllables group’). We assessed to what extent the birds in the two experimental groups attend to the spectral characteristics and the sequence of the syllables by measuring the responses to test strings consisting of spectral modifications or sequence changes. Our results showed no difference in the number of trials needed to discriminate strings consisting of either different or identical sets of syllables. Both experimental groups attended to changes in spectral features in a similar way, but the group for which both training strings consisted of the same set of syllables responded more strongly to changes in sequence than the group for which the training strings consisted of different sets of syllables. This outcome suggests the presence of an additional learning process to learn about syllable sequence when learning about syllable phonology is not sufficient to discriminate two strings. Our study thus demonstrates that the relative importance of syllable phonology and sequence depends on how these features vary among stimuli. This indicates cognitive flexibility in the acoustic features that songbirds might use in their song recognition.

Reconstruction of Proto Central of Pahang River Phoneme

This study reconstructed the proto-phoneme of consonants for a subdialect in the central basin of the Pahang River. The length of this river is 459 kilometres, and the area in the centre part of the river was selected to perform comparative linguistics observations. Five research sites were selected for this study purpose, namely Kuala Tembeling (KT), Lada (LDA), Jeransang (JRG), Kedondong (DDG), and Bukit Nikmat (BMT), based on their distinctive phonological characteristics. The research sites were visited twice to ensure the authenticity of the gathered data. The data were screened to extract cognate words using Crowley’s framework. Crowley’s sound correspondence set (SCS) was employed to evaluate and extract proto-phonemes. After the phonemes were retrieved, the reconstructed proto-phoneme of Adelaar was used as a point of comparison. The findings revealed that Proto-Centre Pahang river (PCPr) has 18 ancient consonant phonemes (*p, *b, *t, *d, *k, *ɡ, *m, *n, *ɲ, *ŋ, *l, *s, *ɣ, *h, *c, *ɟ, *w, and *j). The distribution of these consonants is diverse and depends on the consonant type. A vocalic feature of PCPr, such as vowels and diphthongs, should be the subject of future discussion to arrive at definitive conclusions regarding phonological changes between PCPr and Proto-Malayic (PM).

A Grammar of Bisaya in Davao

This research presents a detailed linguistic description of the Bisaya in Davao language based on the examination of Basic Linguistic Theory. Three primary language consultants are native speakers of the language who translated and recorded word and sentence lists for accurate pronunciation. The analysis reveals the language's phonological, morphological, syntactic, and morphosyntactic characteristics. Based on the translated eliciting materials spoken and pronounced by the language consultants, there are three vowels and sixteen consonants in the phonemic inventory. Distinct phonological characteristics such as minimal pairs, diphthongs, and phonotactics are readily apparent. It demonstrates that the language has morphological characteristics and follows ergative-absolutive and verb Initial structure, precisely like other Austronesian languages in the Philippines. This description provides actual language documentation, additional research on language contact or migration, linguistic typology, and crosslinguistic study. This is vital for students and teachers in DepEd Davao in teaching the Bisaya in Davao as a mother tongue.