The domain of realization of the L- phrase tone in American English

Abstract

The phonetic realization of intonational targets in the f0 contour is not always straightforwardly predicted by their affiliations in the segmental string, and the phrase tones of American English are a type of target for which several hypotheses about the domain of realization have been advanced. By varying the metrical structure of target words at the end of a phrase produced with the H∗ L- H% 'surprised dismay' contour, we determined that a) the right edge of the L, signaled by the beginning of the rise for the H%, occurs close to the right edge of the phrase, b) the left edge of the L-, signaled by the end of the fall from the H∗, stretches leftward to seek a prominent syllable, and c) there is significant variation in the resolution of the various factors that influence these two inflection point locations.