.I. COMMUN. DISORD.

22 (1989), 115-123

A FUNDAMENTAL FREQUENCY
INVESTIGATION OF CHILDREN AGES
6-10 YEARS OLD
DAVID N. SORENSON
Department of Speech Pathology and Audiology, Idaho State University, Pocatello

The fundamental frequency characteristics of 30 children between the ages of 6 and 10 years
were investigated in a variety of speech tasks. The results indicated that average fundamental
frequency across tasks for the boys is approximately 262 Hz, and for girls approximately
281 Hz. Statistical analysis indicated that there was no significant difference in the funda-
mental frequency of boys and girls in this age range. High vowels were found to have higher
fundamental frequency values than low vowels. Sustained vowels had higher fundamental
frequency values than either spontaneous speech or reading for both groups of speakers.
The results of this investigation are discussed in terms of maturational processes, and in
comparison to corresponding adult information.

INTRODUCTION
Over the years much research effort has been spent in determining the
fundamental frequency characteristics of preadolescent children. The re-
sults of this research, with few exceptions, indicate that prior to puberty
there is no significant difference in the fundamental frequency charac-
teristics of male and female children (Murphy, 1964; Luchsinger and Ar-
nold, 1965; Kaplan, 1971). However, these studies are limited in that the
data are based on a restricted set of tasks. Hasek, Singh, and Murry (1980)
reviewed 24 studies of fundamental frequency of males and females in
the age range 5-10 years. They found that 18 studies used either reading
passages or repeated sentences. The remaining studies involved spon-
taneous speech (2), production of long vowers (3), or responses to pictures
(1). In none of the 24 studies reviewed were subjects required to complete
more than a single phonatory task.
Fundamental frequency investigations of adult speakers indicate that
there are substantial differences in fundamental frequency depending on
the task used to elicit voice production. For instance, it is consistently

Address correspondence to David N. Sorensen, Ph.D., Department of Speech Pathology

and Audiology, Campus Box 8116, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID 832094009.

0 1989 by Elsevier Science Publishing Co., Inc. 115

655 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10010 0021~9924189/$3.50
116 D. N. SORENSEN

found that spontaneous speech yields the lowest fundamental frequency

values and sustained vowel production yields the highest fundamental
frequency values, with reading yielding values somewhere in between
those two points. Furthermore, it has been noted that vowel height in-
fluences the fundamental frequency of a sustained vowel production (Pe-
terson and Barney, 1952; House and Fairbanks, 1959; Lehiste and Pe-
terson, 1961). Corresponding information for preadolescent speakers is
conspicuously absent.
The purpose of the present investigation was to study the fundamental
frequency characteristics of a group of male and female preadolescent
speakers as they participated in three phonatory tasks-sustained vowel
production, spontaneous speech, and reading. Since the speakers pro-
duced a number of different vowel productions, it was possible to look
at the effect that differing vowels have on fundamental frequency. The
provision of this information will give us a greater understanding of the
dynamics of voice production in the preadolescent.

METHOD

Subjects
Three boys and three girls from each of the age levels 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10
years were selected as participants for this study. Female ages ranged
from 6;l years to IO;5 years. Male subjects ranged in age from 6;3 years
to 10;ll years. Individuals with a history of respiratory, laryngeal, lan-
guage, and/or articulation problems were excluded from the subject pop-
ulation. In addition, potential subjects with hearing acuity poorer than 25
dB (ANSI, 1969) at 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz in either ear were screened
out of the subject population since such alterations of auditory sensitivity
are known to affect vocal fundamental frequency characteristics.

Recording Procedures and Phonatory Tasks

Each subject was seated in a sound-treated booth and fitted with a head-
holder from which was suspended a condenser microphone (Sony AD38)
on an adjustable arm. The microphone was placed so that it was 10 cm
from the subject’s lips. The voice samples of the subject picked up by
the microphone were recorded at a transport speed of 7.5 lps on a high-
quality tape recorder (Sony TC399) located oustide the booth.
There were three different phonatory tasks: (1) Oral reading of factual
prose in which the subjects were required to read two pages from a first-
grade level reader (Robinson, Monroe, and Artley, 1962): All subjects
read the same two pages (pages 36 and 37). (2) Spontaneous speech in
which the subjects were asked to talk about a picture placed in front of
CHILDREN’S FUNDAMENTAL FREQUENCY VALUES 117

them: The picture selected for this task was W-3 from the Peabody Lan-
guage Development Kit, Level 3. Subjects were instructed to talk for at
least 30 seconds as timed by the examiner. (3) Sustained vowel production
in which the subjects were asked to phonate the vowels /i, I, E, a, A, a,
u/ for about 5 seconds as steadily as possible: Each vowel was repeated
three times with rest periods between vowels, and between trials.
The examiner explained and demonstrated each of the phonatory tasks.
Subjects were given the opportunity to practice the tasks prior to re-
cording. Demonstration and practice were essential in the sustained vowel
productions in order to ensure that the desired vowel token was produced.
The sustained vowel task was repeated until the examiner judged that
three acceptable tokens of each vowel were produced.

Acoustic Analysis
Following the recording of the phonatory tasks, intensity x time tracings
were made of the sustained vowel productions using a graphic level re-
corder (B&K Type 2305). By examining the intensity x time tracings, as
well as by listening to the samples, the most stable production of each
vowel for each subject was determined. From the midportion of the se-
lected samples, a segment of approximately 3 seconds was chosen for
further analysis.
Measures of fundamental frequency were obtained using an automatic
fundamental frequency analysis program (Horii, 1975, 1979, 1980). In this
procedure the voice samples are digitized at the rate of 20000 times-per-
second. Following sampling the computer program automatically ana-
lyzes the digitized data and outputs a fundamental frequency histogram
and mean fundamental frequency values.

RESULTS
The results of this study are presented in terms of three separate analyses.
In the first the fundamental frequency differences between the male and
the female subjects are examined through a three-factor repeated-mea-
sures analysis of variance (sex-by-age-by-task) (Winer, 1971). In the sec-
ond analysis, differences in the vowel task are examined to determine the
pattern of fundamental frequency as a function of vowel production
(vowel height). Finally, age-by-task differences are examined for male
and female groups separately through a two-factor repeated measures
analysis of variance.
The average fundamental frequency of the male and female subjects at
each of the five age levels are reported in Tables 1 and 2, respectively.
A three-factor analysis of variance was performed to test for the main
effects of sex, age, and phonatory task. The main effect of sex was found
Table 1. The Mean Fundamental Frequency Values for the Boys in Each of the Three Phonatory Tasks. Standard Deviations for
Each Age Level are in Parentheses
Age /iI Ill /El lael lul Id la/ Speech Reading Mean

6 280.26 285.33 258.71 253.43 298.69 276.91 263.70 250.81 255.86 269.30
(4.77) (17.32) (15.15) (13.61) (8.15) (18.35) (20.00) (25.10) (23.14)
7 303.78 302.63 291.89 273.29 310.22 290.17 302.82 288.04 292.72 295.06
(7.37) (7.06) (21.05) (13.44) (6.35) (10.54) (25.56) (22.04) (31.86)
8 262.82 255.93 255.82 252.77 270.99 258.27 256.61 229.35 239.21 253.53
(4.98) (10.86) (8.72) (17.62) (9.43) (13.72) (14.45) (25.37) (24.68)
9 273.25 237.60 236.06 230.55 271.03 241.10 228.00 221.45 236.81 241.76
(6.48) (11.14) (10.64) (16.29) (22.57) (29.29) (15.24) (52.29) (48.93)
10 252.89 258.44 248.67 246.38 273.12 247.40 239.15 220.31 247.54 248.21
(5.36) (15.47) (18.13) (16.95) (9.16) (17.65) (18.00) (44.31) (28.54)

Mean 274.60 267.99 258.39 251.28 284.81 262.77 258.06 241.99 254.42 261.59
Table 2. The Mean Fundamental Frequency Values for the Girls in Each of the Three Phonatory Tasks. Standard Deviations for
Each Age Level are in Parentheses

Age Ii/ Ill /El ICI Id /Al Id Speech Reading Mean

6 323.06 309.24 293.98 286.18 325.33 315.93 316.41 296.45 305.20 307.98
(5.21) (20.01) (9.66) (22.67) (6.72) (9.14) (34.03) (36.89) (32.19)
7 291.00 286.75 283.24 276.70 284.11 273.76 281.90 257.98 274.12 278.85
(6.12) (11.14) (21.54) (15.71) (9.02) (14.47) (19.02) (38.24) (33.92)
8 281.27 266.25 265.64 265.45 291.65 266.06 262.63 251.28 258.08 267.59
(4.84) (9.90) (20.23) (16.27) (7.70) (17.76) (15.58) (30.19) (28.12)
9 299.62 291.67 274.92 268.90 300.92 281.78 281.49 266.11 279.07 283.38
(5.39) (12.08) (11.11) (11.31) (15.34) (16.29) (6.43) (38.53) (36.66)
10 260.50 276.02 265.92 266.71 286.64 289.10 292.25 229.47 257.23 269.32
(4.24) (16.59) (16.19) (11.70) (6.21) (11.08) (20.79) (40.59) (30.22)

Mean 291.09 287.19 276.74 272.79 297.73 285.33 286.94 260.26 214.74 281.42
120 D. N. SORENSEN

not to be significant (F = 2.37, & = 1, 20, p = .OS) indicating that the

average fundamental frequency of female children aged six to ten was not
significantly different from the average fundamental frequency of male
children of the same age. The main effect of age was not significant (F
= 1.08, & = 4, 20, p = .OS) either, indicating that the fundamental
frequency values of the various age groups did not differ from each other.
The main effect for task was not significant (F = 1.47, & = 8, 160, p =
.05). This result indicated that, unlike adults where fundamental frequency
is task dependent, there was no difference in the average fundamental
frequency of spontaneous speech, oral reading, and sustained vowel pro-
duction.
There is an indication from previous research on adult fundamental
frequency characteristics that vowel height may have an effect on a vow-
el’s inherent fundamental frequency. For this reason, the vowel task was
visually inspected to determine if there were systematic variations in fun-
damental frequency as a function of vowel height. Examination of the
group mean data from Table 1 indicates that the /i/ and the /u/ have the
highest fundamental frequencies among the vowels. In fact, as the pro-
ductions progress from /i/ to /aA there is a continual lowering of the fun-
damental frequency. The /A/ and /al have fundamental frequency values
that are relatively close, followed by a large increase in fundamental fre-
quency for the /u/. These trends are evident for both the male and the
female subjects.
Though the three-factor analysis of variance indicated that neither the
main effect of age nor the sex-by-age interaction was significant, an ex-
amination of the data in Table 1 suggested that developmental trends for
the two sexes may differ. For this reason, a second series of analyses of
variance was performed. In these analyses male and female children were
analyzed separately in a two-factor repeated measures analysis of vari-
ance (age-by-task) (Winer, 1971). For the male subjects the main effect
of age was significant (F = 5.41, df = 4, 70, p < .OOl), indicating that
the average fundamental frequency of at least two age groups differed
significantly. This result was further analyzed with a Newman-Keuls test,
which showed that the average fundamental frequency at ages 6 and 7
differed significantly from the average fundamental frequency which oc-
curred at ages 8-10. The main effect of age for the female subjects was
not significant (F = 3.45, Q!! = 4, 70, p > .Ol). These two results indicate
that the male fundamental frequency lowers in the age range 6 to 7 years,
then remains relatively stable. No such developmental trend is noted for
the female children. The task main effect in both male (F = 7.68, & =
8, 80, p < .OOl) and female (F = 6.81, & = 8, 80, p < .OOl) analyses
was significant, which indicated that spontaneous speech has a lower
fundamental frequency than either reading or sustained vowel production.
CHILDREN’S FUNDAMENTAL FREQUENCY VALUES 121

DISCUSSION
The present investigation was motivated by a desire to determine the
differences in fundamental frequency in a group of children aged 6 to 10
years. Previous research on the fundamental frequency characteristics of
this group has dealt with a single phonatory task, either sustained vowels
or spontaneous speech. There is, however, a paucity of information on
the fundamental frequency characteristics of children across tasks. In
addition, this investigation provided an opportunity to reexamine the sex-
related and age-related differences in fundamental frequency in male and
female children.
The results of this research are in agreement with previous research
that indicates no significant difference in the fundamental frequency of
males and females in the age range 6-10 years (Eguchi and Hirsh, 1969;
Fairbanks, Herbert, and Hammond, 1949; Fairbanks, Wiley, and Lass-
man, 1949; Van Oordt and Drost, 1963). Kent (1976) indicates that the
average fundamental frequency of males and females in this age range is
between 200 Hz and 325 Hz. The overall average fundamental frequency
of the male and female subjects in the present investigation fell within
that range. Hasek, Singh, and Murry (1980) found a systematic lowering
of fundamental frequency in a similar age. The present investigation did
not find a systematic lowering of the fundamental, although there was a
tendency for the fundamental to drop. Previous research has also indi-
cated that female speakers in this age range have a lower fundamental
frequency than male speakers [see Wilson (1979) for a complete review
of those studies]. The results of the present investigation do not confirm
that observation. At ages 6,8,9, and 10, the male speakers have the lower
fundamental frequency values, while at age 7, the female speakers have
the lower fundamental frequency values.
The analysis of variance of the male and female data demonstrated a
near significant age effect. Further probing of this result in age-by-task
analyses of variance for male and female groups separately indicates that
there is a significant difference in the fundamental frequency at the various
age levels for the males but not for the females. Explanations for this
finding can only be speculative. Crelin (1973) conjectures that sex related
changes in the larynx begin to appear as early as the third or fourth year.
These structural modifications may be greater in the preadolescent male
than the preadolescent female and may result in the age-related funda-
mental frequency lowering which was noted. It is also possible that there
is a cultural factor involved, which encourages male children to assume
a lower fundamental frequency.
The highest fundamental frequency values were associated with the
high vowels and the lowest fundamental frequency values with the low
vowel /a/. Observations of this heightened fundamental frequency for high
122 D. N. SORENSEN

vowels has been previously noted for American English (Peterson and
Barney, 1952; House and Fairbanks, 1953; Lehiste and Peterson, 1961).
Lehiste (1970) notes that when the tongue is raised to produce a high
vowel, the larynx tends to be pulled upwards and the laryngeal muscles
stretched. This increases the tension in the vocal folds and causes an
increase in their rate of vibration. Likewise, Lehiste and Peterson (l%l)
found that among the cardinal vowels, ld had the lowest fundamental
frequency. With the tongue in a lower position, tension in the laryngeal
muscles is reduced, and the fundamental frequency is lowered.
The results of this investigation indicate that, in the age range studied,
there is no significant difference in the mean fundamental frequency of
male and female preadolescents. Though there is no sex-related differ-
ence, it was noted that the male fundamental frequency lowers between
ages 6 and 7, then stabilizes from 7 to 10 years. The female fundamental
frequency, however, does not follow this pattern. The principal finding
of this study relates to the across-task differences. Spontaneous speech
and oral reading have the lowest fundamental frequency values, and sus-
tained vowel productions have the highest fundamental frequency values.
These task differences are the result of the physiological setting of the
larynx. During sustained vowel production there is a greater and a con-
stant tension in both the intrinsic and the extrinsic laryngeal muscles,
which causes the vocal folds to vibrate at a higher rate. During oral reading
and spontaneous speech the tension in the laryngeal muscles is reduced,
resulting in lower fundamental frequency values. The fact that oral reading
has a higher fundamental frequency than spontaneous speech would seem
to indicate that oral reading sets laryngeal tension to a level somewhat
higher than for spontaneous speech. This higher level of laryngeal tension
is reflected in a slightly elevated fundamental frequency.

This research was supported by a Biomedical Research Grant from the Department of Health
and Human Services, Public Health Service. Portions of this paper were presented at the
1983 annual convention of the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association, Cin- .
cinnati. Special thanks is given to Dr. Yuki Horii, who provided the computer programs for
the acoustic analysis.

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