vowel acoustics, part 2
DESCRIPTION
Vowel Acoustics, part 2. March 12, 2014. The Master Plan. Today: How resonance relates to vowels (= formants ) On Friday: In-class transcription exercise (You won’t have to do anything ahead of time.) Remember: acoustics homework is due on Monday. Any questions so far?. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: Vowel Acoustics, part 2](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062500/5681527a550346895dc0a79b/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Vowel Acoustics, part 2
November 4, 2015
![Page 2: Vowel Acoustics, part 2](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062500/5681527a550346895dc0a79b/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
The Master Plan• Today:
• How resonance relates to vowels
• (= formants)
• On Friday:
• In-class transcription exercise
• (You won’t have to do anything ahead of time.)
• Remember: acoustics homework is due on Monday.
• Any questions so far?
![Page 3: Vowel Acoustics, part 2](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062500/5681527a550346895dc0a79b/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
My “Open Tube” Vowel
formants
![Page 4: Vowel Acoustics, part 2](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062500/5681527a550346895dc0a79b/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
A Vowel Spectrum
Note:
F0 160 Hz
F1
F2
F3 F4
![Page 5: Vowel Acoustics, part 2](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062500/5681527a550346895dc0a79b/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Different Vowels,Different Formants
• The formant frequencies of resemble the resonant frequencies of a tube that is open at one end.
• For the average man (like Peter Ladefoged or me):
• F1 = 500 Hz
• F2 = 1500 Hz
• F3 = 2500 Hz
• However, we can change the shape of the vocal tract to get different resonant frequencies.
• Vowels may be defined in terms of their characteristic resonant frequencies (formants).
![Page 6: Vowel Acoustics, part 2](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062500/5681527a550346895dc0a79b/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Artificial Examples• The characteristic resonant frequencies (formants) of the “corner” vowels:
“[i]” “[u]”
“ ”
![Page 7: Vowel Acoustics, part 2](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062500/5681527a550346895dc0a79b/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Real Vowels
![Page 8: Vowel Acoustics, part 2](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062500/5681527a550346895dc0a79b/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Real Vowels
![Page 9: Vowel Acoustics, part 2](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062500/5681527a550346895dc0a79b/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Vowel Articulations• We learned (a long time ago) that vowels are articulated with characteristic tongue and lip shapes
![Page 10: Vowel Acoustics, part 2](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062500/5681527a550346895dc0a79b/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Vowel DimensionsFor this reason, vowels have traditionally been described
according to four pseudo-articulatory parameters:
1. Height (of tongue)
2. Front/Back (of tongue)
3. Rounding (of lips)
4. Tense/Lax
= distance from center of vowel space.
![Page 11: Vowel Acoustics, part 2](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062500/5681527a550346895dc0a79b/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
The Vowel Space
![Page 12: Vowel Acoustics, part 2](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062500/5681527a550346895dc0a79b/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Vowel Acoustics• But it turns out that we can get to the same chart a different way...
• Vowels are primarily distinguished by their first two formant frequencies: F1 and F2
• F1 corresponds to vowel height:
• lower F1 = higher vowel
• higher F1 = lower vowel
• F2 corresponds to front/backness:
• higher F2 = fronter vowel
• lower F2 = backer vowel
![Page 13: Vowel Acoustics, part 2](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062500/5681527a550346895dc0a79b/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Reality Check• Let’s check out the formant values for Bruce Hayes’ vowels in Praat.
• And plot them on the board.
![Page 14: Vowel Acoustics, part 2](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062500/5681527a550346895dc0a79b/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
Things to Keep in Mind• Resonant frequencies (formants) are primarily based on the length of the speaker’s vocal tract.
• (the length of the open tube)
• The longer the vocal tract, the lower the formant frequencies.
• Thought Question #1:
• What effect might lip rounding have on formant frequencies?
• Thought Answer #1:
• Lip rounding lowers both formant frequencies.
• Thought Caveat #1: rounded vowels (like [u] and [o]) are often fronted in modern English.
![Page 15: Vowel Acoustics, part 2](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062500/5681527a550346895dc0a79b/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
“Normalcy”
“booed” “bode”
![Page 16: Vowel Acoustics, part 2](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062500/5681527a550346895dc0a79b/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Feeling Minnesota
“booed” “bode”
![Page 17: Vowel Acoustics, part 2](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062500/5681527a550346895dc0a79b/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Looking California
“booed” “bode”
![Page 18: Vowel Acoustics, part 2](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062500/5681527a550346895dc0a79b/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
Things to Keep in Mind• Thought Question #2:
• How might formant frequencies differ between men and women?
![Page 19: Vowel Acoustics, part 2](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062500/5681527a550346895dc0a79b/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
Male Formant Averages
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
10001500200025003000
F2
F1
[i][u]
[æ]
![Page 20: Vowel Acoustics, part 2](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062500/5681527a550346895dc0a79b/html5/thumbnails/20.jpg)
Female Formant Averages
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
10001500200025003000
F2
F1
[i] [u]
[æ]
![Page 21: Vowel Acoustics, part 2](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062500/5681527a550346895dc0a79b/html5/thumbnails/21.jpg)
Combined Formant Averages
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
10001500200025003000
F2
F1
![Page 22: Vowel Acoustics, part 2](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062500/5681527a550346895dc0a79b/html5/thumbnails/22.jpg)
Women and Men• The acoustics of male and female vowels differ
reliably along two different dimensions:
1. Sound Source
2. Sound Filter
• Source--F0: depends on length of vocal folds
shorter in women higher average F0
longer in men lower average F0
• Filter--Formants: depend on length of vocal tract
shorter in women higher formant frequencies
longer in men lower formant frequencies
![Page 23: Vowel Acoustics, part 2](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062500/5681527a550346895dc0a79b/html5/thumbnails/23.jpg)
Prototypical Voices• Andre the Giant: (very) low F0, low formant frequencies
• Goldie Hawn: high F0, high formant frequencies
• Alternatively: “Sugar”, of Canada’s YTV
![Page 24: Vowel Acoustics, part 2](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062500/5681527a550346895dc0a79b/html5/thumbnails/24.jpg)
F0/Formant mismatches• The fact that source and filter characteristics are independent of each other…
• means that there can sometimes be source and filter “mismatches” in men and women.
• What would high F0 combined with low formant frequencies sound like?
• Answer: Julia Child.
![Page 25: Vowel Acoustics, part 2](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062500/5681527a550346895dc0a79b/html5/thumbnails/25.jpg)
F0/Formant mismatches• Another high F0, low formants example:
Roy Forbes, of Roy’s Record Room (on CKUA 93.7 FM)
• The opposite mis-match =
Popeye: low F0, high formant frequencies
![Page 26: Vowel Acoustics, part 2](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062500/5681527a550346895dc0a79b/html5/thumbnails/26.jpg)
In Praat• Check out:
Andre
Goldie
Julia
Popeye
Low-to-high F0
Pitch Shifting
![Page 27: Vowel Acoustics, part 2](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062500/5681527a550346895dc0a79b/html5/thumbnails/27.jpg)
In Conclusion• Everybody’s vowel space is different.
• A vowel space is defined by a speaker’s range of first formant (F1) and second formant (F2) frequencies.
• We identify vowels on the basis of the patterns formed by their formants within that acoustic space.
• F1 determines the height of vowels.
• F2 determines the front/backness of vowels.
• Rounding lowers both formant frequencies.
• Questions?