• Journal of Music and Human Behavior
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.1-18
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to compare the vocal characteristics of 40 adults with and without cerebral palsy (CP), upon presentation of three speech tasks (i.e., reading, chanting, and singing). The Praat program was utilized to generate data on fundamental frequency, voice intensity, jitter, and shimmer. The results of the analysis revealed no significant differences on fundamental frequency and intensity. However, both groups showed significant decreases in jitter and shimmer when engaged in singing tasks. The analysis of group differences indicated that adults with CP showed significantly higher variation scores on jitter and shimmer than the group without CP, and the difference on jitter and shimmer became greater during rhythmic chanting. In terms of jitter variation, the interaction effects according to the groups and types of speech tasks were greater, demonstrating the differences between the two groups. This study can be utilized as a basic research, regarding changes in vocal characteristics of adults with CP according to different musical speech tasks.

• The KIPS Transactions:PartB
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• v.15B no.6
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• pp.595-602
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• 2008

The focused word of each sentence is a help in recognizing and understanding spoken Korean. To find the method of focused word spotting at spoken speech signal, we made an analysis of the average and variance of Fundamental Frequency and the average energy extracted from a focused word and the other words in a sentence by experiments with the speech data from 100 spoken sentences. The result showed that focused words have either higher relative average F0 or higher relative variances of F0 than other words. Our findings are to make a contribution to getting prosodic characteristics of spoken Korean and keyword extraction based on natural language processing.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.53-60
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• 2023

This study compared the absolute error of estimated fundamental frequency (AEF0) using voice - (VRP) and speech range profile (SRP) tasks across various etiological groups with voice disorders. Additionally, we explored the association between AEF0 and related voice parameters within each specific etiological group. The participants included 120 individuals, comprising 30 each from the functional (FUNC), organic (ORGAN), and eurological (NEUR) voice disorder groups, and a normal control group (NC). Each participant performed voice and SRP tasks, and the fundamental frequency of connected speech was measured using electroglottography (EGG). When comparing the AEF0 measures across the etiological groups, there were no differences in Grade and Severity among the patients. However, variations were observed in AEF0_VRP and AEF0_SUM. Specifically, AEF0_VRP was higher in the ORGAN group than in the FUNC and NC groups, whereas AEF0_SUM was higher in the ORGAN group than in the NC group. Furthermore, within FUNC and NEUR, AEF0 showed a positive correlation with Grade, while in ORGAN, it exhibited a positive correlation with the mean closed quotient (CQ). Attention should be paid to the application of AEF0 measures and related voice variables based on the etiological group. This study provides foundational information for the clinical application of AEF0 measures.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.49-55
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• 2019

This study sought to investigate whether mean speaking fundamental frequency (SFF) can be predicted by parameters of voice and speech range profile (VRP and SRP) in Korean normal adults. Moreover, it explored whether gender differences exist in the absolute differences between the SFF and estimated SFF (ESFF) predicted by the VRP and SRP. A total of 85 native Korean speakers with normal voice participated in the study. Each participant was asked to perform the VRP task using the vowel /a/ and the SRP task using the first sentence of a Korean standard passage "Ga-eul". In addition, the SFF was measured with electroglottography during a passage reading task. Predictive factors of the SFF were explored and the absolute difference between the SFF and the ESFF (DSFF) was compared between gender groups. Results indicated that predictive factors were age, gender, minimum pitch and pitch range for the VRP (adjusted $R^2=.931$), and pitch range (in semi-tones) and maximum pitch for the SRP (adjusted $R^2=.963$), respectively. The SFF and ESFF predicted by the VRP and SRP showed a strong positive correlation. The DSFF of the VRP and SRP, as well as their sum did not differ by gender. In conclusion, the SFF during a passage reading task could be successfully predicted by the parameters of the VRP and SRP tasks. In further studies, clinical implications need to be explored in patients who may exhibit deviations in SFF.

• Speech Sciences
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.93-103
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• 2003

This study examines the high-low pitch range differences between Korean and native English speakers' utterances of 36 English sentences, and explores the role of the pitch fluctuation range in the pronunciation assessment. Findings are: i) Korean speakers implement half as much pitch fluctuation as the native speakers with the achievement rate of, on an average, 47%. Especially, pitch fluctuation range is below the average in the sentence types of exclamation, yes-no & wh-questions, ii) the reason why Korean speakers' pitch fluctuation range is only half the range of the native speakers is that Korean speakers do not raise the pitch at certain sentence positions so much as the native speakers, and iii) the range of pitch fluctuation plays an important role in distinguishing the utterances of the native speakers from those of Korean speakers, but does not in rating the English utterances among Korean speakers.

• Proceedings of the KSPS conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.199-204
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• 2004

The purpose of this paper is to find prosodic characteristics in voice imitation. Speakers change various phonetic features in voice imitation. Speakers change their pitch ranges in the most cases. Especially, the pitch range is important for word conditions. And, as imitators change the voice, the average value of f0 is close to high frequence than low frequence or middle level.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.77-87
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• 2019

The study aimed to develop Speech Range Profile (SRP) and to examine and validate its clinical application. Forty-five participants without voice disorders aged 18-29 years were compared using SRP and Voice Range Profile (VRP). The authors developed the "Fire!" paragraph as a SRP task compromising 14 sentences including all Korean spoken phonemes and sentence types. To compare SRP and VRP results, the participants read the paragraph (reading) and counted from 21 to 30 (counting) as a part of SRP tasks, and produced a vowel /a/ from low to high frequencies (gliding) and a shortened form of the VRP as a part of VRP tasks. $F0_{max}$, $F0_{min}$, $F0_{range}$, $I_{max}$, $I_{min}$, and $I_{range}$ for each task were measured and compared, showing that $F0_{max}$, $F0_{min}$, $F0_{range}$, $I_{max}$, and $I_{range}$ were not different between reading and gliding. $I_{min}$, had the lowest value in counting. It is concluded that the newly developed SRP task, reading the "Fire" paragraph, can yield a maximum phonation range similar to that found by VRP. Therefore, it is expected that voice evaluation can be effectively performed in a relatively short time by applying SRP with the "Fire" paragraph, a functional utterance task, in place of VRP, which may be difficult to measure long term or in cases of severe voice disorders.

• The Journal of the Acoustical Society of Korea
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.231-237
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• 2011

The purpose of this study is to examine the correlation between the preferred sensation type and speech sounds, especially on $F_0$ and the speech rates. Data for the sensation types and speech sounds were collected from 36 undergraduate and graduate students (17 male, 19 female). Subjects were asked to read a given text (400 syllables), describe a drawing, and give answers to some questions. We measured speakers' $F_0$ and speech rates. The results show that type V (Visual) has the correlation with the speech rates when type D (Digital) was ruled out, and type A (Auditory) has the correlation with the speech rates when type D was included. Furthermore, the analysis of the mean values of V, A, K (Visual, Auditory, Kinethetic) indicates that type V is characterized with faster speech rates and higher $F_0$ in all parts except for interview and the same is true for that of V, A, K, D (Visual, Auditory, Kinethetic, Digital) in all parts. In conclusion, this study proved that the preferred sensation type has the correlation with $F_0$ and speech rates. Based on the results of this study, $F_0$ and speech rates can be used to analyze the sensation types for individualized education as well as consultation. In addition, this study has great significance in that it lays a foundation for the study on the correlation between a preferred sensation type and speech sounds.

• Phonetics and Speech Sciences
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.19-27
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• 2024

The Lombard effect is an involuntary response to speakers' experiences in the presence of noise during voice communication. This study aimed to investigate the Lombard effect by comparing the acoustic features of children and adults under different listening conditions. Twelve male children (5-9 years old) and 12 young adult men (24-35 years old) were recruited to produce speech under three different listening conditions (quiet, noise-55 dB, noise-70 dB). Acoustic analyses were then carried out to characterize their acoustic features, such as F0, intensity, duration, and vowel space area, under the three listening conditions. A Lombard effect was observed in the intensity and duration for children and adults who participated in this study under adverse listening conditions. However, we did not observe a Lombard effect in the F0 and vowel space areas of either group. These findings suggest that children can adjust their speech production in challenging listening conditions as much as adults.

• Speech Sciences
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.147-157
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• 2008

Habitual speaking fundamental frequency (sF0) plays an important role in determining the voice classification, which can be presented differently depending on the vocal fold length and language habits. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to compare the differences in sF0 for voice classification and closed quotient between speaking and singing. Seventeen singers (7 sopranos, 5 tenors, 5 baritones, mean age 25.1 years) with no evidence of vocal folds pathology were participated. sF0 and closed quotient (CQ) both in speaking and in singing (A3-A5 with soprano, A2-A4 with tenor and baritone) were measured using SPEAD program and electroglottography. No significant differences were observed for sF0 between tenor and baritone groups (p> 0.05). However, CQ in singing was significantly different among three groups (p< 0.05), but CQ in speaking was not (p> 0.05). Furthermore, CQ was significantly different with both soprano (p< 0.01) and tenor groups ((P= 0.02) whereas baritone group revealed there is no difference when compared between speaking and singing. No significant differences in sF0 between tenor and baritone participants may result from decision-making for voice classification by experience and should measure sF0 before determining the voice classification.