PSYCH 2E03 Chapter Notes - Chapter 13: Vocal Tract, Vocal Folds, Voice-Onset Time
12 Jun 2013
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The phoneme is the shortest segment of speech that, if changed, would change the meaning of a word. Phonemes refer not to letters but to speech sounds tha serve to distinguish meaning. Phonemes are defined in terms of the sounds that are used to create words in a specific language. The acoustic signal patterns of pressure change: Speech sounds are produced by the position or the movement of structures within the vocal apparatus, which produce patterns of pressure changes in the air that are called the acoustic stimulus. Acoustic signal for most speech sounds is created by air that is pushed up from the lungs past the vocal cords and into the vocal tract. Sound produced depends on the shape of the vocal tracts as air is pushed through it. Shape of the vocal tract is altered by moving the articulators, which include structures such as the tongue, lips, teeth, jaw and soft palate.
