The interaction between prosodic boundaries and accent in the production of sibilants

Abstract

It is well-established that prosodic structure has an influence on speech production. However, a great deal of the work showing the influence of prosody on articulation and acoustics has focused on segments known to exhibit considerable variability in their production. Sibilants are highly constrained speech segments, due to the precise aerodynamic tasks they require. The goal of this work is to examine if boundaries of prosodic domains and accents are able to affect the production of sibilants. This study presents data from 5 subjects using Electromagnetic Articulography (EMMA), using a repetitive rhythmic speech task, where the repeated unit is composed of trochaic or iambic pairs. The results show that boundaries, accent, and rhythm do show effects on the magnitude of motion of articulators during sibilants.