VOWELS IN STANDARD AUSTRIAN GERMAN - Acoustics ...

Sylvia Moosmüller
prosodic positions or in interactional situations which demand a small degree of figure-
ground contrast. Therefore, it is justifiable to assume that a phoneme corresponds to the
pronunciation in a highly formal setting in stressed position (e.g. a reading task). Since,
within this framework, the phonetic output is guided by the demands of the interactional
situation, the phoneme is to be defined perceptually via the acoustic parameters with
conclusions to be drawn on articulation, if possible. Since different articulatory
configurations might result in identical or nearly identical acoustic outputs, it is the
acoustic output that counts in an interactional situation, and not the articulatory
configuration behind it.
Given the high variability dependant on the interactional situation together with
the required figure-ground contrast, the phonological process is of high relevance for
the analysis of a given phonetic output. Only the phonological process ensures an
unambiguous trace back of a phonetic output to its underlying representation. Figure 1.1
gives an F1, F2, F3 plot over time of two examples of the vowel /e/, one in a strong
prosodic position, the other one in a weak prosodic position, and one example of the
vowel /E/, in strong position. The F2 of the unstressed /e/ has more resemblance with
the F2 of the stressed /E/ than with the stressed /e/, the mental representative of the
unstressed /e/. The F1 correctly goes with the stressed /e/, whilst the F3 shows hardly
any differences between the three examples.
Models which deny phonological processes (e.g. Keating 1990) face a confusing
situation: does this unstressed vowel belong to /e/ (correspondence of F1) or to /E/
(correspondence of F2)? However, both speakers and listeners know that in the
unstressed position, the constriction degree is widened and the constriction length is
shortened for /e/, leading to a lowering of F2, whereas the degree of lip opening is not
changed. Therefore, due to the phonological process, both speaker and listener will
unambiguously trace the unstressed vowel back to its phoneme /e/.
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