Kymograph tracings of English plosives

INDEX

Michael Ashby & John Maidment

Introducing Phonetic Science

Chapter 6: Voice II

Chapter Summary

In this chapter we look at aspects of the timing of vocal fold vibration.  VOT is the interval between the release of a plosive and the onset of vocal vibration and is an important cue for the listener in determining whether the plosive belongs in the voiced or voiceless category.  Most languages make use of a two-way distinction according to VOT.  The chapter also introduces the notion of aspiration, a feature of plosives which have a long VOT. Looking more closely at the details of voicing in English we consider the topic of devoicing and look at the conditions under which so-called voiced consonants may be without vocal fold vibration for at least part of their duration. This leads to the introduction of the terms fortis and lenis as possible alternatives to the terms voiceless and voiced.  Finally, we look at phonation types, identifying modal (normal) voice and a number of audibly different kinds of vocal fold vibration which may be used distinctively by certain languages and in many languages as signals of the attitude of the speaker. The most important conclusion to be drawn from this chapter is that the voicing of consonants is not simply a matter of the presence or absence of vocal vibration.