ACOUSTIC PHONETICS

Overview
ƒ What is acoustic phonetics?
ƒ Introduction to PRAAT
ÆSpectrogram
ÆOscillogram
ƒ Spectrum
ƒ Summary
ƒ Correlation between acoustic phonetics and
auditory phonetics
 What is acoustic phonetics?
ƒ branch of phonetics dealing with

Æphysical characteristics of sound waves

which carry speech sounds between mouth
and ear (transmission of sound)
 Acoustic phonetics in context of
phonetics and phonology
ƒ Phonetics refers to the physiological and acoustic parts of the
following diagram, while phonology resides in the brain

(URL: http://www.ling.upenn.edu/courses/Spring_2001/ling001/phonology.html)
 -Acoustic phonetics and PRAAT-
What is PRAAT?
ƒ speech sound waves can
be analysed in terms of its
acoustic properties Æ

PRAAT: computer program

Æenables visualizing,
playing, annotating, and
analyzing of sound object
in terms of its acoustic
properties (e.g. frequency,
pitch, etc.)
 Pulses and pitch
In the oscillogram:pulses which
are indicated by blue solid lines=
pulses show phonation mode
(voiced)

Here you see the pitch track of the voice, i.e. what
you perceive as high and low (acoustics:
frequencies)
 PRAAT-tiers (layers/levels)-
ƒ tiers are used to
segment a speech
waveform and attach
labels for each
segment for further
processing

tones
words
phonemes
 What does PRAAT show?
ƒ Speech acoustic
analysis can be
realized by using:
Æspectogram &
oscillogram
oscillogram

spectogram
 What is an oscillogram?
ƒ represents speech
signals

Ævertical axis: amplitude

Æhorizontal axis: time
(total duration)
 Spectogram
ƒ graphic representation of
sounds in terms of their
component frequencies

Three dimensions: Dark shading

Ævertical axis: frequency Æacoustic
energyÆ
Æhorizontal axis: time formants
Ædark shading (third
dimension): acoustic
energy (formants F1, F2,
F3)
 What is frequency?
ƒ number of cycles completed per second;
measured in Hertz (Hz)
ƒ when the cycle meets the axis for the second time,
one cyle is completed: one cycle

Sine wave: simplest kind of periodic waveÆ made by an ideal tuning fork
Lowest frequency sine wave componentÆfundamental frequency (fo)
 What are formants?
ƒ Spectogram also shows
formants
Æconcentration of acoustic
energy
Ægroup of overtones
corresponding to a
resonating frequency of
the air in the vocal tract
Ævowels are characterized
by three formants (F1, F2,
F3)

(URL: http://www.uni-erfurt.de/sprachwissenschaft/personal/lehmann/CL_Lehr/PhonPhon/Phon_02_Akust_Phonetik.html)
 Formants

http://www.psychology.uiowa.edu/classes/31121/drbob/notes%5Cformant.jpg
 Formants in PRAAT
ƒ formants in
PRAAT are also
shown by ‘red
dotted lines‘ in
the spectogram

The ‘red dotted lines‘ and especially dark shadings

show the formants
 Spectrum
ƒ spectrum: only shows frequency and
amplitudeÆno relation to time
maximum of the spectrum indicates
formant

vertical position shows

amplitude horizontal position shows frequency
 What is amplitude?
ƒ given in an waveform

oscillogram
ƒ displacement of the
vibrating medium from
its rest position
(example: tuning fork)
ƒ measured in relation to
time, measured in dB

(URL: http://www.uni-erfurt.de/sprachwissenschaft/personal/lehmann/CL_Lehr/PhonPhon/Phon_02_Akust_Phonetik.html)
Amplitude
 Summary
spectogram y-axis: frequency (Hz)
(representation in x-axis: time (sec)
PRAAT) third dimension: dark
shading (intensityÆ
formants; dB)
oscillogram y-axis: amplitude
(representation in x-axis: time
PRAAT)
spectrum y-axis: amplitude
(no representation in x-axis: frequency
PRAAT)
 Correlation between acoustic
phonetics and auditory phonetics
Acoustic phonetics Auditory phonetics
frequency perceived as pitch
(measured in Hz)
amplitude perceived as loudness
(measured in dB)

duration perceived as speech

(measured in time) tempo