Download articulators

Version WS 2007-8
Speech Science VIII
The articulation behind the acoustics
Topics
• How do we create the resonating cavities?
• Anatomy physiology of articulation
• Systematic categorization of (German) sounds.
• Reading: BHR, Chap. 5 or 6 (artic. Parts)
Kent, Chap. 5, especially pp. 171-194
P.-M. 1.4, pp. 43-59
Vowels vs. consonants
• Vowels have to form the vocal tract into a tube with
one ([],[a, ]) or two (most other
vowels) main cavities.
For this the tongue dorsum (which comprises the
mass of the tongue) is moved up and down,
backwards & forwards,
• Consonants have to form an obstruction to the
airflow.
For this any constrictable part of the vocal tract is
used: the lips, tongue tip & blade, tongue dorsum,
tongue root, vocal folds
Tongue shapes for
vowels (a reminder)
Traditional
description
Acoustically
important
N.B., the tongue tip
never protrudes – and
you can feel that it is
behind the bottom
incisors
Längsmuskel
Kinn-Zungenmuskel
Senkrechtmuskel
Quermuskel
How does the
tongue change
shape?
The tongue consists
of muscle fibres.
Tensed muscles
get shorter and
thicker.
These muscles
change the Form
of the tongue.
PARTS of the
muscles can be
tensed too.
Schädelbasis-Zungenmuskel
How the tongue
changes position
Gaumen-Zungen-M.
Oberer Längs-M.
(Shape
Unterer Längs-M.
and
position)
Kinn-Zungen-M.
(Shape
and
position)
Zungenbein-Zungen-M.
Unterkiefer
Important muscles for corner vowels 1
[i]
The back part of the genioglossus
contracts to pulls the mass of the
tongue forward.
Probably, the inferior longitudinal muscle and possibly the
front part of the genioglossus
pulls the tip back, allowing the
front part of the dorsum to bulge
upwards (to form the convex
shape typical for vowels).
Important muscles for corner vowels 2
[]
The hyoglossus pulls the mass
of the tongue down to the floor
of the mouth..
Both longitudinal muscles and
the back part of the genioglossus
need to be relaxed to allow the
mass of the tongue body to
bulge backwards into the pharynx.
Possibly the verticalis muscle
helps to keep the dorsum flat in
the mouth.
The styloglossus
pulls the mass
of the tongue
upwards and
backwards
Important muscles for corner
vowels 3 [u]
Possibly the palatoglossus
muscle helps to raise the
back part of the dorsum
towards the velum.
The front part of the
genioglossus muscle
and possibly also the
longitudinalishelp to
pull the tongue tip back
But the lips also
determine
the acoustics
The “O.O.” muscle is
responsible for
lip-rounding
Lifting muscles
„round the mouth“
muscle
Lowering muscles
Some more detail?
German vowel qualities and symbols
pure vowels
diphthongs
iy
I Y
e O
u
U

I
U
o
I
(E)
E 


a/a
aI
aU
Now for the consonants
• Where and what are the “obstructions” to the
airflow?
• They can occur throughout the vocal tract.
• They can be of very different kinds
• The tongue and lips are important (see vowels)
but the velum also plays an imprtant role
Articulators
&
places of
articulation
The places of articulation
are at the top and
the articulators (movable)
are at the bottom
The most frequent terms
for places of articulation
are marked.
The articulators are not
often specified (except
for “labio-”)
A mid-sagittal cross-section
Places of articulation
Articulators
tip
blade
Articulators & consonants
• To form the constrictions for consonants, articulators
have to be raised to a place of articulation:
The jaw is (surprisingly) NOT the main factor which
determines the proximity of the articulators (observe
jaw during the [b] closure for [bi] and
[ba]
Consider what muscles move ....
the lips together
the tongue tip to the alveolar ridge
the tongue dorsum to the palate
Controlling the velum
(Palate lifter)
(uvula muscle)
(Palate tensor)
(palate-tongue muscle)
(palate-pharynx muscle)
The pharynx complex
Gaumenspannung
Gaumenheber
tensor palatini
levator palatini
m. uvulae
palatoglossus
Gaumensenker
palatopharyngeus
Oral and nasal sounds
raised velum
(oral) [d]
lowered velum
airstream
(nasal) [n]
Constriction
complete
narrow
slight
plosive
fricative
approximant
complete closure,
no acoustic energy
turbulent
airflow
no turbulence
affricate = sequence of plosive+fricative
trill: vibrating articulator
Place of articulation (German)
Articulator
place-name IPA symbol
active
passive
upper and lower lip
lower lip
upper incisors
bilabial
p b m 
labiodental f v  
tongue tip
alveolar ridge
alveolar
posterior part
of alv. ridge
hard palate
postalveolar
palatal
(apical)
tongue blade
(laminal)
front tongue dorsum
velum
back tongue dorsum
uvula
vocal folds
velar
uvular
glottal
tdsznlr
t
S  Z
tS
j C
dZ
kgN x
X  
h ?
Manner of articulation (German)
Manner of articulation
Laterality
Nasality
Constriction
IPA-Symbols

closure
del. rel.
oral
narrow constr.
approximant
central
lateral
trill
Sound category
plosive
t k b d
g

t
fvszS C x
affricate
X hfricative
approximant or
vowel glide
j
r oder R
trill
nasal
closure
mnN
nasal
oral
approximant
l
lateral
Summary
• We have seen how our articulators shape the
articulatory configurations required for different
sounds
• We have categorized the sounds (of German)
according to place of articulation and according to
manner of articulation
• We have seen the IPA symbols that are used to
represent the sounds.