VOWELS IN STANDARD AUSTRIAN GERMAN - Acoustics ...

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Vowels in Standard Austrian German
and lowest when preceded by a bilabial plosive. This pattern can be observed for all
speakers, Table 5.5 shows that the differences in F2 at vowel onset are statistically
significant.
mean F2 /ba, pa/ /da, ta/ /ga, ka/ F p
sp180 112 1399 1724 1767 2;551:392,15 0.00
sp129 1184 1589 1773 2;606: 553,06 0.00
sp082 1292 1548 1674 2;531: 286,48 0.00
sp012 1176 1393 1475 2;432: 187,87 0.00
sp126 1178 1391 1471 2;571: 300,74 0.00
sp127 1218 1372 1576 2;456: 255,26 0.00
Table 5.5.: Mean F2 values of the first five frames of the vowel /A/ calculated from vowel
onset in bilabial, alveolar and velar context, all conditions and positions. F and p
value from one-way ANOVA.
The results on /CA/ sequences, where C is either a bilabial, an alveolar, or a velar
plosive are summarized as follows:
� /A/ preceded by a bilabial plosive shows two patterns, either a fall of F2
from consonant release until vowel onset or a flat movement of F2 from
release onwards. Therefore, tongue body positioning takes place either
during the occlusion of the plosive or at release. In most cases, tongue
body positioning is finished at vowel onset.
� Preceded by an alveolar plosive, the tongue body has to be withdrawn
after release. Therefore, tongue body positioning is not yet finished at
vowel onset and a monotonous drop in F2 can be observed which reaches
substantially into the vowel.
� In the case of a velar closure, the tongue body does not take a back
location, but forms the closure in the velar region, which causes a drop in
F2 that reaches substantially into the vowel. Therefore, again, tongue body
positioning is not yet accomplished at vowel onset. The values of F2 at
vowel onset are, however, higher than in the alveolar context.
112 For p180, alveolar and velar context do not differ.