• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.185-193
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• 2013

This study investigates dialectal differences in the acoustic properties of Korean lenis, aspirated, and tense stops Seoul Korean (standard Korean) and Yanbian Korean (spoken in the largest Korean Autonomous Prefecture in China). This production study the main acoustic cues that each dialect uses to mark the laryngeal distinction between the three types of Korean stops. Measurements included VOT, and the initial F0 of the following vowel. Data collected from 10 young Seoul Korean speakers, 10 young Yanbian Korean speakers, and 6 older Yanbian speakers. two key findings: First, aspirated and lenis stops are mainly differentiated by F0 in Seoul Korean, and by $H1^*-H2^*$ in Yanbian Korean. Second, there is no VOT merger between lenis and aspirated stops in Yanbian Korean, whereas there is in Seoul Korean. These results are discussed in terms of the phenomenon of VOT shift and the function of F0t is argued that the function of F0 to substitute for VOT difference as a primary cue for the coding of laryngeal contrast can be predicted by the pitch accent system of the language involved.

• Speech Sciences
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.69-87
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• 2006

This study aims to describe the vowel system of present-day American English and to discuss some of its phonetic variations due to regional differences. Fifteen speakers of American English from various regions of the United States produced the monophthongs of English. The vowel duration and the frequencies of the first and the second formant were measured. The results indicate that the distinction between the vowels [c] and [a] has been merged in most parts of the U.S. except in some speakers from eastern and southeastern parts of the U.S., resulting in the general loss of phonemic distinction between the vowels. The phonemic merger of the two vowels can be interpreted as the result of the relatively small functional load of the [c]-[a] contrast, and the smaller back vowel space in comparison to the front vowel space. The study also shows that the F2 frequencies of the high back vowel [u] were extremely high in most of the speakers from the eastern region of the U.S., resulting in the overall reduction of their acoustic space for high vowels. From the viewpoint of the Adaptive Dispersion Theory proposed by Liljencrants & Lindblom (1972) and Lindblom (1986), the high back vowel [u] appeared to have been fronted in order to satisfy the economy of articulatory gesture to some extent without blurring any contrast between [i] and [u] in the high vowel region.

• Proceedings of the KSPS conference
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• 2003.05a
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• pp.159-162
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• 2003

In this paper I investigate the intervening consonants constraint in umlaut in Korean. It is generally known that if a palatalized consonant, i.e. s/ㅅ/ or $t{\int}/ㅈ/$ etc, intervenes in an umlaut environment, the expected umlaut process is blocked. But there are not a few words which are thought to have undergone umlaut diachronically: wensu $( If we assume that these words were formed as a result of umlaut, we must explain the reason of the violation of the intervening consonants constraint. On the other hand if we assume that these words were formed as a result of other phonological processes, we must explain these words by ad hoc rules respectively. In this paper I argue that these words including others have undergone the umlaut process by offering some historical and dialectal evidence.

• Speech Sciences
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• v.1
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• pp.201-211
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• 1997

Acoustically a naturally-spoken vowel is composed of five formants. However, the acoustic quality of a vowel is known to be mostly determined by $F_1\;and\;F_2$. The main purpose of this study was to examine how synthesized vowels with $F_1\;and\;F_2$ are perceived by Korean native speakers. In addion, we are interested in finding whether the synthesized vowels are perceived differently by standard Korean speakers and Kyungnam regional dialect speakers. In the experiment 9 Seoul standard Korean speakers and 9 Kyungnam dialect speakers heard 536 vowels synthesized in vowel space with $F_1\;by\;F_2$ and categorized them into one of 10 Korean vowels. The resultant vowel map showed that each Korean vowel occupies an unique area in the two-dimensional vowel space of $F_1\;by\;F_2$, and confirmed that $F_1\;and\;F_2$ play important roles in the perception of vowels. The results also showed that the Seoul speakers and the Kyungnam speakers perceive the synthesized vowels differently. For example, /e/ versus /$\varepsilon$/ contrast, /y/, and /$\phi$/ are perceived differently by the Seoul speakers, whereas they were perceptually confused by the Kyungnam speakers. These results might be due to the different vowel systems of the standard Korean and the Kyungnam regional dialect. While the latter uses a six-vowel system which has no /e/ vs /$/ contrast, /v/ vs /i/ contrast, /y/, and /$\phi$/, the former recognizes these as different vowels. This result suggests that the vowel system of differing dialect restricts the perception of the Korean vowels. Unexpectedly /i/ does not occupy any area in the vowel apace. This result suggests that /i/ cannot be synthesized without $F_3$.