Journal
JOURNAL OF SPEECH LANGUAGE AND HEARING RESEARCH
Volume 50, Issue 6, Pages 1510-1545Publisher
AMER SPEECH-LANGUAGE-HEARING ASSOC
DOI: 10.1044/1092-4388(2007/104)
Keywords
vowels; speech development; formant frequencies; nasalization; vocal fundamental frequency; vocal tract development
Funding
- NICHD NIH HHS [P-30 HD03352, P30 HD003352-42, P30 HD003352-37, P30 HD003352-41, P30 HD003352-35, P30 HD003352, P30 HD003352-40, P30 HD003352-39, P30 HD003352-38] Funding Source: Medline
- NIDCD NIH HHS [R03 DC004362-02, R01 DC006282, R01 DC000319-11, R03 DC4362, R01 DC006282-01, R01 DC006282-03, R01 DC00319, R03 DC004362-03, R01 DC000319-18, R03 DC004362-01, R01 DC000319-17, R01 DC000319-19, R01 DC000319-20, R01 DC000319-16A1, R01 DC006282-02, R01 DC006282-05S1, R01 DC000319, R01 DC000319-15, R01 DC6282, R01 DC006282-04, R01 DC006282-05] Funding Source: Medline
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Purpose: This article integrates published acoustic data on the development of vowel production. Age specific data on formant frequencies are considered in the light of information on the development of the vocal tract (VT) to create an anatomic-acoustic description of the maturation of the vowel acoustic space for English. Method: Literature searches identified 14 studies reporting data on vowel formant frequencies. Data on corner vowels are summarized graphically to show age-and sex-related changes in the area and shape of the traditional vowel quadrilateral. Conclusions: Vowel development is expressed as follows: (a) establishment of a language-appropriate acoustic representation (e. g., F1-F2 quadrilateral or F1-F2-F3 space), (b) gradual reduction in formant frequencies and F1-F2 area with age, (c) reduction in formant-frequency variability, (d) emergence of male-female differences in formant frequency by age 4 years with more apparent differences by 8 years, (e) jumps in formant frequency at ages corresponding to growth spurts of the VT, and (f) a decline of f(0) after age 1 year, with the decline being more rapid during early childhood and adolescence. Questions remain about optimal procedures for VT normalization and the exact relationship between VT growth and formant frequencies. Comments are included on nasalization and vocal fundamental frequency as they relate to the development of vowel production.
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