Devoicing of word-initial stops: A consequence of the following vowel.
View/ Open
Date
2003Author
Pape, D.
Mooshammer, Christine
Hoole, Phil
Fuchs, Suzanne
Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
Pape, D., Mooshammer, C., Hoole, P. & Fuchs, S. (2003) Devoicing of word-initial stops: A consequence of the following vowel., Proceedings of the 6th International Seminar on Speech Production,, , , pp. 207-212,
Abstract
ABSTRACT: The aim of the current study is to investigate the contextual conditions of
devoicing of phonologically voiced stops. Therefore articulatory and acoustical data of four
male speakers were recorded by means of EMMA and EPG. Devoicing was observed more
frequently for the velar stops than for the bilabials. The highest occurrence of devoicing was
observed when the voiced stop was followed by a low or mid vowel. To test whether
articulatory positions are affected by the identity of the following vowel ANOVAs were
computed. All subjects showed significant effects on positional data varying with place of
articulation of the stop. Percentage of devoicing was significantly correlated with vertical and
horizontal tongue positions for the velar and with the vertical jaw position for both stops.
Stepwise regression models were computed to achieve an objective measure for the relevance
of the measured parameters. We assume that in German movement economy, i.e.
coarticulation, is more important than the maintenance of voicing during the closure, which is
in agreement with the view that the voicing distinction in German is primarily produced by a
longer VOT for the voiceless stops.