• 음성과학
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• 제1권
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• pp.213-223
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• 1997

This paper deals with a general review of Mieko S. Han, who made a significant contribution to the studies of Korean phonetics during the 1960' s and early 1970' s. As both a single and joint author, Dr. Han published important papers in both quantity and quality, which have been cited among Korean phoneticians until today. Before Dr. M. Han' s work, professor of USC in the department of East Asian Languages & Cultures, there were only a few phonetics-related publications in Korea, most of which are papers or books based on non-experimental traditional approach. It is known that there was coexistence between traditionalism and structuralism in the field of Korean linguistics. It was, however, fortunate that we had two important phoneticians (M. Han and Chin-W Kim) abroad at that time. Mieko Han' s concern was to investigate experimental characteristics of the system of Korean vowels and consonants using a Spectrograph, which was the single most important tool for analysing phonetic data at that time. Dr. Han conducted her experimental studies on Korean phonetics, mostly funded by the Office of Naval Research, in terms of duration, fundamental frequency, Voice Onset Time (VOT), intensity, and so on. This paper aims to re-appreciate Dr. Han's specific contribution to the study of Korean phonetics since she played an important role as a pioneer of early Korean phonetics. Further, it is highly recommended that Dr. Han's works can be extremely useful for a graduate student, who seriously would like to specialize in Korean phonetics in the first step.

• 말소리와 음성과학
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• 제10권4호
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• pp.39-44
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• 2018

This study aimed to examine whether preconsonantal vowel shortening, which occurs in many languages, exists in Chinese. To this end, we compared 15 pairs of Chinese bi-syllabic words with intervocalic unaspirated/aspirated stops. The results revealed that (1) the effect of the feature aspiration of the following stop on the preceding vowel (V1) was neither significant nor consistent though V1 tends to be a little longer before an unaspirated stop; (2) the following unaspirated stop closure (C) was similar to or longer than its aspirated cognate; (3) the durational sum of V1 and C was longer when the stop is unaspirated, and V1 and C had no compensatory relationship; (4) Voice Onset Time (VOT) was significantly longer when the stop is aspirated than unaspirated; (5) the vowel (V2) following VOT was significantly longer when the stop is unaspirated, so the differentials in VOT were partially compensated; (6) despite the partial compensation, the sum of VOT and V2 was longer when the stop is aspirated; (7) words with an intervocalic aspirated stop were longer than those with its unaspirated cognate. It is concluded that while VOT is the most important factor for deciding the timing structure of Chinese words with intervocalic stops, closure duration is crucial for Korean and many other languages.

• 말소리와 음성과학
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• 제11권3호
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• pp.1-7
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• 2019

Korean (L1)-English (L2) bilingual adults' and children's production of Korean and English stops was examined to determine the age effects and L2 experience on the development of L1 and L2 stop contrasts. Four groups of Seoul Korean speakers (experienced and inexperienced adult and child groups) and two groups of age-matched native English speakers participated. The overall results of voice onset time (VOT) and fundamental frequency (F0) of phrase-initial stops in Korean and word-intial stops in English showed a delay in the acquisition of L1 due to the dominant exposure to L2. Significantly longer VOT and lower F0 for aspirated stops as well as high temporal variability across repetitions of lenis stops were interpreted to indicate a strong effect of English on Korean stop contrasts for bilingual children. That is, the heavy use of VOT for Korean stop contrasts shows bilingual children's attention to the acoustic cue that are primarily employed in the dominant L2. Furthermore, inexperienced children, but not adults, were shown to create new L2 categories that are distinctive from the L1 within 6 months of L2 experience, suggesting greater independence between the two phonological systems. The implications of bilinguals' age at the time of testing to the degree and direction of L1-L2 interaction are further discussed.

• 말소리와 음성과학
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.17-24
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• 2024

The Korean three-way stop contrast (lenis, aspirated, fortis) is currently undergoing a sound change, such that the primary cue distinguishing lenis and aspirated stops is shifting from voice onset time (VOT) to F0. Despite recent discussions of this shift, research on voice quality, traditionally considered an additional cue signaling the contrast, remains sparse. This study investigated the extent to which the associated voice quality [as reflected in the acoustic measurements of H1^*-H2^*, H1^*- A1^*, and cepstral peak prominence (CPP)] contributes to the three-way stop contrast, and how the realization is conditioned by prominence- vs. boundary-induced prosodic strengthening amid the ongoing sound change. Results for 12 native Korean speakers indicate that there was a substantial distinction in voice quality among the three stop categories with the breathiness of the vowel being the greatest after the lenis, intermediate after the aspirated, and least after the fortis stops, indicating the role of voice quality in the maintenance of the three-way stop contrast. Furthermore, prosodic strengthening has different effects on the contrast and contributes to the enhancement of the phonological contrast contingent on whether it is induced by prominence or boundary.

• 대한후두음성언어의학회지
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• 제7권1호
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• pp.50-55
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• 1996

Acoustic analysis study was performed on 20 normal subjects by speaking nonsense syllables composed of Korean bilabial stops$(/P, P^{\star}, P^{h}/)$ and their preceding and/or following vowel /a/ (that is, $[pa, p^{\star}a, p^{h}a, apa, ap^{\star}a, ap^{h}a]$) with an ultraminiature pressure, sensor. in their mouths. Speech materials were phonated twice, once with a moderate voice, another time with a loud voice. The acoustic signal and intraoral pressure were recorded simultaneously on computer. By these procedures, we were to measure the intraoral pressure, closure duration and VOT of Korean bilabial stops, and to compare the values one another according to the intensity of phonation and the position of the target consonants. Intraoral pressure was measured by the peak intraoral pressure value of Its wave closure duration by the time interval between the onset of intraoral pressure build-up and the burst meaning the release of closure ; Voice onset time(VOT) on by the time interval between the burst and the onset or glottal vibration. Heavily aspirated bilabial stop consonant /$p^h$/ showed the highest intraoral pressure value, unaspirated /$p^{\star}$/, the second, slightly aspirated /P/, the lowest. The syllable initial bilabial stops showed higher intraoral pressure than word initial stops, and the value of loudly phonated consonants were higher than moderate consonants. The longest closure duration period was that of /$p^{\star}$/ and the shortest, /P/, and the duration was longer in word initial position and in the moderate voice. In VOT, the order of the longest to shortest was $/{p^h}/, /p/, /{p^\star}/$, and the value was shorer when the consonant was in intervocalic position and when it was phonated with a loud voice.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• 제23권1호
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• pp.48-58
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• 2001

After performing mandibular setback surgery, we found some changes in patterns and organs of speech. This investigation was undertaken to investigate the aspect and degree of speech patterns according to the amount of surgical setback in mandibular prognathic patients. Thirteen patients with skeletal Class III malocclusion were studied preoperative and postoperative over 6 months. They had undergone the mandible setback operation via bilateral sagittal split ramus osteotomy(BSSRO). We split the patients into two groups. Group 1 included patients whose degree of mandibular setback was 6mm or less, and Group 2 above 6mm. Control group was two adults wish normal speech patterns. A phonetician performed narrow phonetic transcriptions of tape-recorded words and sentences produced by each of the patients and the acoustic characteristics of the plosives, fricatives, and flaps were analyzed with a phonetic computer program (Computerized Speech Lab(CSL) Model 4300B(USA)). The results are as follows: 1. Generally, Patients showed longer closure duration of plosives, shorter VOT(voice onset time) and higher ratio of closure duration against VOT. 2. Patients showed more frequent diffuse distribution than the control group in frication noise energy of fricatives. 3. In fricatives, frequency of compact from were higher in group 1 than in group 2. 4. Generally, a short duration of closure for /ㄹ/ was not realized in the patient's flaps. Instead, it was realized as fricatives, sonorant with a vowel-like formant structure, or trill type consonant. 5. Abnormality of the patient's articulation was reduced, but adaptation of their articulation after surgery was not perfect and the degree of adaptation was different according to the degree of surgical setback.

• 대한후두음성언어의학회지
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• 제23권1호
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• pp.33-42
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• 2012

Background and Objectives : Dysarthria refers to speech disorder that causes difficulties in speech communication due to paralysis, muscle weakening, and incoordination of speech muscle mechanism caused by damaged central or peripheral nerve system. Pitch, strength and speed are influenced by dysarthria during detonation due to difficulties in muscle control. As evaluation items, alternate motion rate and diadochokinesis have been commonly used, and articulation is also an important evaluation items. The purpose of this study is to find acoustic characteristics on sound production of dysarthria patients. Materials and Methods : Research subjects have been selected as 20 dysarthria patients and 20 subjects for control group, and voice sample was composed of bilabial, alveolar sound, and velar sound in diadochokinetic rate, while consonant articulation test was composed of bilabial plosive, alveolar plosive, velar plosive. Analysis items were composed of 1) speaking rate, energy, articulation time of diadochokinesis, 2) voice onset time (VOT), total duration (TD), vowel duration (VD), hold of plosives. Results and Conclusions : The number of diadochokinetic rate of dysarthria was smaller than control group. Both control group and dysarthria group was highly presented in the order of /t/>/p/>/k/. Minimum energy range per cycle during diadochokinetic rate of dysarthria group was smaller than control group, and presented statistical significance in /p/, /k/, /ptk/. Maximum energy range was larger than control group, and presented statistical significance in /t/, /ptk/. Articulation time, gap, total articulation time during diadochokinetic rate of dysarthria group was longer than control group and presented statistical significance. The articulation time was presented in both control group and dysarthria group in the order of /k/>/t/>/p/, while Gap was presented in the order of /p/>/t/>/k/ for control group and /p/>/k/>/t/ for dysarthria group. VOT, TD, VD regarding plosives of dysarthria group were longer than control group. Hold showed large deviation compared to control group that had appeared due to declined larynx and articulation organ motility.

• 대한음성학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한음성학회 2000년도 7월 학술대회지
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• pp.86-87
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• 2000

In this paper, we discuss why two different surface forms appear in loanwords for English and German /${\int}$/ In Korean, a vowel is inserted into loanwords if a consonant cannot be properly syllabified. Therefore, /${\int}$/ in some positions of loanwords trigger vowel insertion. Interestingly, /${\int}$/s in the onset cluster of English and German words were borrowed in Korean as Iful with the inserted vowel [u] whereas If Is in the coda position of English and German words were borrowed as Ifil with the inserted vowel [i]. For example, 'shrimp' is adopted as [${\int}urimphi$] whereas 'rush' is adopted as [$ra{\int}i$]. In this paper, we attempt to find out the phonetic reason for the distribution of the surface forms of /${\int}$/. We assume that since the formant frequency of [i] is higher than that of [u], the peak frequency of /${\int}$/ with the surface form of [${\int}$i] in loanwords may be higher than that of /${\int}$/ with the surface form of [${\int}u$]. We also assume that duration may be another factor for the distribution of [${\int}i$] and [${\int}u$]. Since /${\int}$/ and /u/ use lip rounding whereas /i/ doesn't, the duration for [${\int}i$] might be longer than that of [${\int}u$]. German supports our assumption. /${\int}$/ in the onset cluster is longer than /${\int}$/ in the coda position. It also has higher peak frequency than that of /${\int}$/ in the coda position. In loanwords, ${\int}$ in the onset cluster is borrowed as [${\int}u$] as in Spiegel whereas /${\int}$/ in the coda position is borrowed as [${\int}i$] as in Bosch. English, however, does not support our assumption. Peak frequency of [${\int}$] depends on the preceding vowel, not on its position in the syllable structure. If the preceding vowel is front, then the peak freuency of the following of the following /${\int}$/ is high but if the preceding vowel is back, than the peak frequency of the following /${\int}$/ is low. The peak frequency of /${\int}$/ in the onset cluster seems to be in between. As we assumed, however, the duration of /${\int}$/ in the coda position is longer than of /${\int}$/ in the onset cluster. With the mixed results, we question whether Koreans really hear two different xounds for /${\int}$/ in English words. For the future experiment, we would like to perform the perception tet for /${\int}$/ in English words.

• 대한전기학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한전기학회 1990년도 하계학술대회 논문집
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• pp.535-538
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• 1990

The main problem in speech recognition is the enormous variability in acoustic signals due to complex but predictable contextual effects. Especially in plosive consonants it is very difficult to find invariant cue due to various contextual effects, but humans use these contextual effects as helpful information in plosive consonant recognition. In this paper we experimented on three artificial neural net models for the recognition of plosive consonants. Neural Net Model I used "Multi-layer Perceptron ". Model II used a variation of the "Self-organizing Feature Map Model". And Model III used "Interactive and Competitive Model" to experiment contextual effects. The recognition experiment was performed on 9 Korean plosive consonants. We used VCV speech chains for the experiment on contextual effects. The speech chain consists of Korean plosive consonants /g, d, b, K, T, P, k, t, p/ (/ㄱ, ㄷ, ㅂ, ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅋ, ㅌ, ㅍ/) and eight Korean monothongs. The inputs to Neural Net Models were several temporal cues - duration of the silence, transition and vot -, and the extent of the VC formant transitions to the presence of voicing energy during closure, burst intensity, presence of asperation, amount of low frequency energy present at voicing onset, and CV formant transition extent from the acoustic signals. Model I showed about 55 - 67 %, Model II showed about 60%, and Model III showed about 67% recognition rate.

• 말소리와 음성과학
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• 제15권1호
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• pp.19-24
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• 2023

This study investigated acoustic (VOT) and articulatory characteristics of Korean velar stops in monosyllabic CV structures to examine how the three-way distinction is realized in the laryngeal and supralaryngeal domains and how the distinction is manifested in male versus female speakers' speech production. EMA data were collected from 22 speakers. In line with previous studies, male speakers preserved the three-way differentiation of velar stops (/k^*/</k/</k^h/) in terms of VOT while female speakers showed only a two-way distinction (/k^*/</k/=/k^h/). As for the kinematic characteristics, a clear three-way distinction was found only in male speakers' peak velocity measure in the C-to-V opening movement (/k^h/</k/</k^*/). For the other kinematic measures (i.e., articulatory closure duration, deceleration duration of the opening movement and the entire opening movement duration), male speakers showed only a two-way distinction between fortis and the other two stops. Female speakers did not show a three-way contrast in any kinematic measure. They showed a two-way distinction between lenis and the other two stops in C-to-V deceleration duration (/k^*/=/k^h/</k/), and a two-way distinction between fortis and lenis stops in the opening movement duration. An overall comparison of VOT and articulatory analyses revealed that the lenis-aspirated kinematic distinction is diminishing, driven by female speakers, in line with the loss of the lenis-aspirated distinction in VOT that could influence supralaryngeal articulation.