VOWELS IN STANDARD AUSTRIAN GERMAN - Acoustics ...

Sylvia Moosmüller
6.6.3.1 The vowel /A/
For the vowel /A/ it can be assumed that for vowels bearing secondary stress, the degree
of lip opening is smaller as compared to the primary stressed vowels, but larger as
compared to the unstressed vowels, resulting in a lower F1 as compared to the primary
stressed vowels, but a higher F1 as compared to the unstressed vowels. Additionally, the
degree of constriction might be less tight as compared to the primary stressed vowels,
resulting in a higher F2 and F3 for the secondary stressed vowels. The following
schematized change in formant frequency can be set up:
F1 primary stress > F1 secondary stress > F1 unstressed
F2 primary stress < F2 secondary stress < F2 unstressed
F3 primary stress < F3 secondary stress < F3 unstressed
In Figure 6.13 the results of the one-tailed t-tests are summarized:
F3
F2
F1
sp180 sp129 sp082 sp012 sp126 sp127
Figure 6.13: Statistically significant changes of F1, F2, and F3 (p < 0.05) of the vowel /A/
dependent on stress, sentence reading task. Within each column denoting the
speakers, the leftmost crossbar denotes the relative formant frequency position of
primary stressed vowels, the middle crossbar the one of secondary stressed vowels
and the rightmost crossbar the one of unstressed vowels.
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