Voice quality and tone identification in White Hmong

• DOI: 10.1121/1.4773259
• Publication Date: 2013-01-30T23:47:44Z
• Authors: Marc Garellek; Patricia Keating; Christina M. Espo...; Jody Kreiman
• Keywords: Breathy voice; Tone (literature); Mandarin Chinese; Psychoacoustics

This study investigates the importance of source spectrum slopes in perception phonation by White Hmong listeners. In Hmong, nonmodal (breathy or creaky voice) accompanies certain lexical tones, but its tonal contrasts is unclear. this study, native listeners participated two perceptual tasks, which they were asked to identify word heard. first task, participants heard natural stimuli with manipulated F0 and duration (phonation unchanged). Results indicate that important identifying breathy tone, not tone. Thus, breathiness can be viewed as contrastive Hmong. Next, understand parts use perceive phonation, second task create ranging from modal sounding, held constant. changes H1-H2 (difference amplitude between harmonics) H2-H4 fourth are independently for distinguishing consistent view percept influenced a steep drop harmonic energy lower frequencies.