Sound segments and acoustic

aspect of speech sounds.

 Aspects of speech sounds

Speech sounds are of complex nature and have 4

different aspects, which are closely
connected: the articulatory aspect, the
acoustic aspect, the auditory aspect and the
linguistic aspect.
 Acoustic aspect.

Acoustically, speech sound is a physical

phenomenon produced by the vibration
of the vocal cords and perceived due to
the vibrations of the air which occur at
the rate of 16 to 20 thousand times per
second.

Sounds may be periodical and non-

periodical. The auditory impression of
periodic wares is a musical tone or a
speech tone. If the vibrations are not
rhythmical we hear noises.
Sound has a number of physical properties:

- frequency

-Intensity

- duration

Other acoustic characteristics of speech

sounds are fundamental frequences or musical
tones and overtones or harmonics.
Frequency (the number of vibrations per sec). The
vocal cords vibrate along the whole of their length,
producing fundamental frequency, and all the tones.
Perception of the pitch of a speech sound depends
upon the frequency of vibration of the vocal cords.
The higher the pitch of vibrations, the higher the
pitch level. A male voice may have an average pitch
level of about 100 and 150 cycles per sec, and a female
– 240 cycles per sec.

The frequency of sound depend on certain physical

properties of the vibrator, such as length, tension.
The second physical property of sound is
intensity. Changes in intensity are perceived as
variation in the loudness of a sound. The greater
the amplitude of vibration, the greater the
intensity of a sound; the greater the pressure on
the ear-drums, the louder the sound. Intensity is
measured in decibels (dbs).

 duration – it is the length of the sound or

quantity of time during which the same pattern of
vibration is maintained.
Harmonics and overtones are terms used
to describe resonant frequencies of a musical
instrument. The lowest frequency at which resonance
occurs is known as the fundamental frequency. The
main difference between harmonics and overtones is
that overtones refer to any resonant frequency of a
system that has a frequency higher than its
fundamental frequency while the term harmonics
refer to resonant frequencies which are integer
multiples of the fundamental frequency.
 Bibliography:

https://studopedia.su/2_24428_Aspects-
of-speech-sounds.html
https://infopedia.su/7x2e3d.html
https://pediaa.com/difference-between-h
armonics-and-overtones/