• Speech Sciences
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.53-66
• /
• 2001

This paper aims to investigate the acoustic characteristics of the vowels attested in Korean and French and to seek a way of understanding them from a phonological point of view. We first compare the two vowel systems by measuring the actual frequencies of the formants using CSL. It is shown that the first and second formants vary in wider range in French compared to Korean. In order to understand the two vowel systems from a phonological point of view, we apply the theory of Licensing Constraints, proposed and developed by Kaye (1994), and Charette and Kaye (1994). We propose the licensing constraints placed upon the vowels both in Korean and French. For Korean, we propose the licensing constraints such that both elements I and U must be heads. For French, we claim the following licensing constraints: U in a headed expression must be head, A cannot be head, and Nothing can only license an expression A in it.

• Speech Sciences
• /
• v.11 no.4
• /
• pp.7-15
• /
• 2004

In this paper, we develop a vowel training assistant method using vowel formant statistics. Formant statistics were obtained from a PBW set consisting of 452 words from 8 persons. Then we calculated distance from input formants to each center of vowel formant space. Based on the distance, directions could be given to correct the speaker's manner of articulations, i.e. position of jaw and tongue.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Laryngology, Phoniatrics and Logopedics
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.10-14
• /
• 2005

Background and Objectives : Vowels are characterized on the basis of formant patterns. The first formant(F1) is determined by high-low placement of the tongue, and the second formant (F2) by front-back placement of the tongue. The fundamental frequency(F0) of a soprano often exceed the normal frequency of the first formant. And the vocal intensity is boosted when F0 is high and a harmonic coincides with a formant. This is called a formant tuning. Experienced singers thus learned how to tune their formants over a resonable range by lowering the tongue to maximize their vocal intensity. So, the current study aimed to identify the formant tuning in one experienced soprano by comparing the first formants of vowel [i] in three different voice production : speech, ascending scale, and vocalize. Materials and Method : All voices recordings of vowel [i] in speech, ascending scale (from F4 note to A4 note), and vocalize(:Ridente la calam") were made with digital audio tape-corder in a sound treated room. And the captured data were analyzed by the long term average(LTA) power spectrum using the FFT algorithm of the Computerized Speech Lab(CSL, Kay elementrics, Model, 4300B). Results : Although the first formant of vowel [i] in speech was 238Hz, those of ascending scale [i] were 377Hz, 405Hz, 453Hz respectively in F4(349z), G4(392Hz), A4(440Hz) note, and 722Hz, 820Hz, 918Hz respectively in F5 (698Hz), G5(784Hz), A5(880Hz) note. In vocalize, first formants of [i] were 380Hz, 398Hz, 453Hz respectively in F4, G4, A4 note, and 720Hz, 821Hz, 890Hz respectively in F5, G5, A5 note. Conclusion : These results showed that the first formant of ascending scale and vocalize sustained higher frequency than fundamental frequency in high pitch. This finding implicates that the formant tuning of vowel [i] in ascending scale was also noted in vocalize.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2003.10a
• /
• pp.1042-1045
• /
• 2003

In this paper, we propose the speaker identification system that uses vowel that has speaker's characteristic. System is divided to speech feature extraction part and speaker identification part. Speech feature extraction part extracts speaker's feature. Voiced speech has the characteristic that divides speakers. For vowel extraction, formants are used in voiced speech through frequency analysis. Vowel-a that different formants is extracted in text. Pitch, formant, intensity, log area ratio, LP coefficients, cepstral coefficients are used by method to draw characteristic. The cpestral coefficients that show the best performance in speaker identification among several methods are used. Speaker identification part distinguishes speaker using Neural Network. 12 order cepstral coefficients are used learning input data. Neural Network's structure is MLP and learning algorithm is BP (Backpropagation). Hidden nodes and output nodes are incremented. The nodes in the incremental learning neural network are interconnected via weighted links and each node in a layer is generally connected to each node in the succeeding layer leaving the output node to provide output for the network. Though the vowel extract and incremental learning, the proposed system uses low learning data and reduces learning time and improves identification rate.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
• /
• v.3 no.3
• /
• pp.77-88
• /
• 2011

Foreign accent in second language production depends heavily on the transfer of features from the first language. This study examines acoustic variations in segments and suprasegments by native and nonnative speakers of English, searching for patterns of the transfer and plausible indexes of foreign accent in English. The acoustic variations are analyzed with recorded read speech by 20 native English speakers and 50 Korean learners of English, in terms of vowel formants, vowel duration, and syllabic variation induced by stress. The results show that the acoustic measurements of vowel formants and vowel and syllable durations display difference between native speakers and nonnative speakers. The difference is robust in the production of lax vowels, diphthongs, and stressed syllables, namely the English-specific features. L1 transfer on L2 specification is found both at the segmental levels and at the suprasegmental levels. The transfer levels measured as groups and individuals further show a continuum of divergence from the native-like target. Overall, the eldest group, students who are in the graduate schools, shows more native-like patterns, suggesting weaker foreign accent in English, whereas the high school students tend to involve larger deviation from the native speakers' patterns. Individual results show interdependence between segmental transfer and prosodic transfer, and correlation with self-reported proficiency levels. Additionally, experience factors in English such as length of English study and length of residence in English speaking countries are further discussed as factors to explain the acoustic variation.

• Speech Sciences
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.49-65
• /
• 2006

Recently, several theories on the digital speech signal processing expanded the communication boundary between human beings and machines drastically. The aim of this study is to collect dialectal speech in Korea on a large scale and to establish a digital speech data base in order to provide the data base for further research on the Korean dialectal and the creation of value-added network. 528 informants across the country participated in this study. Acoustic characteristics of vowels and consonants are analyzed by Power spectrum and Spectrogram of CSL. Test words were made on the picture cards and letter cards which contained each vowel and each consonant in the initial position of words. Plot formants were depicted on a vowel chart and transitions of diphthongs were compared according to dialectal speech. Spectral times, VOT, VD, and TD were measured on a Spectrogram for stop consonants, and fricative frequency, intensity, and lateral formants (LF1, LF2, LF3) for fricative consonants. Nasal formants (NF1, NF2, NF3) were analyzed for different nasalities of nasal consonants. The acoustic characteristics of dialectal speech showed that young generation speakers did not show distinction between close-mid /e/ and open-mid$/\epsilon/$. The diphthongs /we/ and /wj/ showed simple vowels or diphthongs depending to dialect speech. The sibilant sound /s/ showed the aspiration preceded to fricative noise. Lateral /l/ realized variant /r/ in Kyungsang dialectal speech. The duration of nasal consonants in Chungchong dialectal speech were the longest among the dialects.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
• /
• 2003.11a
• /
• pp.325-328
• /
• 2003

In this paper, we tried to develop a vowel training assistant method using vowel formant statistics. Formant statistics were obtained from PBW set consists of 452 words from 8 persons. Then, we calculated distance from input formants to each center of vowel formant space. Based on the distance, directions to correct the speaker's manner of articulation, i.e. position of jaw and tongue.

• Proceedings of the Acoustical Society of Korea Conference
• /
• spring
• /
• pp.69-72
• /
• 2004

In this paper, we tried to develop a vowel training assistant method using vowel formant statistics. Formant statistics were obtained from PBW set consists of 452 words from 8 persons. Then, we calculated distance from input formants to each center of vowel formant space. Based on the distance, direct ions to correct the speaker's manner of articulation, i .e. position of jaw and tongue.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
• /
• v.10 no.9
• /
• pp.193-198
• /
• 2019

This study analyzed the changes of vowel formant, voice intensity, and fundamental frequency of vowels for 11 months using acoustochemical spectrogram analysis of women diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The test word was a vowel /a, i, u/ and a diphthong /h + ja + da/, /h + wi + da/, and /h +ɰi+ da/. Speech data were collected through the word reading task presented on the monitor using 'Alvin' program, and the recording environment was set to 5,500 Hz for the nyquist frequency and 11,000 Hz for the sampling rate. The records were analyzed by using spectrograms to vowel formants, voice intensity, and fundamental frequency. As a result of analysis, the fundamental frequency and intensity of the ALS process were decreased and the formant slope of the diphthong was decreased rather than the formant change in the vowel. This result suggests that the vowel distortion of ALS due to disease progression is due to the decrease of tongue and jaw co morbidity.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.85-94
• /
• 2020

Vowel articulation in subjects related to speech disorders seems to be difficult. A chant method that properly reflects the characteristics of language could be used as an effective way of addressing the difficulties. The purpose of this study was to find out whether the chant method is effective as a means of enhancing vowel articulation. The subjects of this study were 60 normal adults (30 males and 30 females) in their 20s and 30s whose native language is Korean. Eight utterance conditions including chanting and reading conditions were recorded and their acoustic data were analyzed. The results of the analysis of the acoustic variables related to the formant confirmed that the F1 and F2 values of the vowel formants are increased and the direction of movement of the center of gravity of the vowel triangle is statistically significantly forwarded and lowered in the chant method in both the word and the phrase context. The results also proved that accent is the most influential musical factor in chant. There was no significant difference between four repeated tokens, which increased the reliability of the results. In other words, chanting is an effective way to shift the center of gravity of the vowel triangle, which suggests that it can help to improve speech intelligibility by forming a desirable place for articulation.