Production of Vowels by Electrolaryngeal Speakers Using Clear Speech.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study examined the effect of clear speech on vowel productions by electrolaryngeal speakers.

METHOD

Ten electrolaryngeal speakers produced eighteen words containing /i/, /ɪ/, /ɛ/, /æ/, /eɪ/, and /oʊ/ using habitual speech and clear speech. Twelve listeners transcribed 360 words, and a total of 4,320 vowel stimuli across speaking conditions, speakers, and listeners were analyzed. Analyses included listeners' identifications of vowels, vowel duration, and vowel formant relationships.

RESULTS

No significant effect of speaking condition was found on vowel identification. Specifically, 85.4% of the vowels were identified in habitual speech, and 82.7% of the vowels were identified in clear speech. However, clear speech was found to have a significant effect on vowel durations. The mean vowel duration in the 17 consonant-vowel-consonant words was 333 ms in habitual speech and 354 ms in clear speech. The mean vowel duration in the single consonant-vowel words was 551 ms in habitual speech and 629 ms in clear speech.

CONCLUSION

Finding suggests that, although clear speech facilitates longer vowel durations, electrolaryngeal speakers may not gain a clear speech benefit relative to listeners' vowel identifications.