Phonetics/Anatomy study guide comd 241 ..

Anatomy

2. BASIC SPEECH PROCESS
•Need 3 basic mechanisms to produce speech:
–Respiration
•Provides airstream so speech can be produced.
–Phonation
•Airstream modified by vocal cords to produce
“phonation”
–Articulation
•Vocal tract modifies the airstream using various
articulators to produce the speech sounds.

3. RESPIRATION
Lungs provide an air stream so that speech
can be produced.
Air stream produced by lungs
moves through the trachea,
passes through the larynx
(where vocal cords are) and
leaves mouth and/or nose.

4. THORACIC CAVITY
Thoracic Cavity (chest cavity) contains the
lungs. Bounded by:
Vertebrae (posterior)
Sternum (anterior)
Ribs (encircles the lungs).
Diaphragm (floor)
Muscle/dome shaped.
Manubrium

5. Boyle’s Law
Volume is inversely proportional to Pressure.
Given a certain closed container, if you increase that
container’s volume, the pressure inside decreases. If you
decrease the volume, the pressure increases.




If there is a pressure differential between the outside
and inside of the container, if the container is opened,
there will be an equalization of pressure so that the
pressure outside the container equals the pressure
inside the container.
To equalizeair may go into/out of the container.

6. Lung Action (and Boyle’s Law)
As lungs expand, there is an increase in volume,
resulting in a decrease in pressure inside the lungs
and to equalize with the outside air pressure, air
rushes into the lungs.
As lungs get smaller, there is an increase of
pressure inside the lungs and to equalize with
outside air pressure, air from the lungs rushes
outside.
Airstream goes from the
lungstrachealarynxpharynxoral/nasal
cavity

7. Rib cage “mechanically” adheres to the
thoracic wall and the diaphragm due to a
membrane.
When thoracic cavity expands, it pulls on the
lungs, which results in decrease in lung
pressure and therefore lungs fill with air.
When cavity contracts, increase in lung
pressure and lungs expel air (Boyle’s Law).

8. What Causes Thoracic Cavity to
Increase/Decrease?
Diaphragm
Separates the thoracic cavity from the abdominal
cavity.
When muscle is relaxed has a dome shape.
When muscle contracts, the diaphragm flattens
increasing the thoracic cavity vertically.
Muscles between the ribs also help to
increase and decrease the thoracic cavity.

9. RESPIRATION FOR SPEECH
Differences exist between respiration during
quiet breathing and speech/singing.
Quiet Breathing
Inspiration/Expiration ratio is 40%/60%.
Speech Breathing
Inspiration/Expiration ratio is 10%/90%.
Also need more volume for speech than quiet breathing.
Therefore, during speech there is a quick inhalation followed
by a long exhalation. This provides the ability to speak using
many words before a breath is taken again. The airstream
during exhalation in speech is extended by as much as 10
times that for quiet breathing.

10. How does the air stream help in
producing speech?
Phonemes in English are voiced (e.g. vowels and
some consonants) or unvoiced (e.g. some
consonants).
If voiced, the vocal folds are set into vibration by
airstream from the lungs.
If unvoiced, the vocal folds don’t vibrate, but the
airstream still needs to be produced to produce the
various “noises”/turbulence that we hear as
phonemes (e.g. /s/)
The airstream is further shaped into the sound by
actions of various “articulators”.

11. PHONATION
•Phonation is the vibration of the vocal cords in
order to produce a voiced phoneme.
–Remember that not all phonemes are voiced.
Therefore, not all sounds we make require the
vocal cords to vibrate.
–Vibration of vocal cords only makes a buzzing-like
sound.

12. LARYNX FRAMEWORK
Larynx is between the Trachea and the Hyoid Bone and
contains the vocal folds.
Functions of the Larynx (acts as a valve):
Sound generator/resonator “Phonation”
Controls flow of air into and out of lungs
Allows for exchange of CO
2 and O
2
Prevents food, water and other substances from entering the
lungs (with the help of the Epiglottis). Protective device.
Helps in building subglottal air pressure in order to expel foreign
objects (coughing).
Enables a buildup of intra-abdominal pressure for thoracic
stabilization for heavy lifting, excretion and childbirth.
Hyoid Bone
Thyroid Cartilage
Cricoid Cartilage
Tracheal Ring (part of trachea)

13. MAIN CARTILAGES OF LARYNX

Thyroid Cartilage
Cricoid Cartilage
Aryteniod Cartilage
Epiglottis
Arytenoids
Cricoid Cartilage

14. 1.Epiglottis
2.Hyoid Bone
3.Corniculate Cartilage
4.Cricoid Cartilage
5.Aryteniod Cartilage
Thyroid
Cartilage
Cricoid
Cartilage
Aryteniod
Cartilage

15. http://vocalprocess.co.uk/build- your-own-tilting-larynx /

16. VOCAL FOLDS
The vocal folds, composed of ligaments, tendons, muscles
and mucous membranes, are contained within the
framework of the Larynx.
The vocal folds can be changed in a number of ways, including:
Abduction: Vocal folds are apart and air flows through easily (e.g. for
breathing).
Adduction: Vocal folds are brought together and no air passes (e.g.
holding breath).
During phonation there is abduction and adduction of vocal cords to
produce vibration creates just a “buzzing” sound.
As vocal folds stretch and thin out, pitch is increased; As becomes
shorter and thicker, there is a decrease in pitch.
Vibrate at approximately 125 cps for adult males and 215 cps for
adult females.
This is called the “fundamental frequency” the perception of which is
the “habitual pitch” of the person.
Space between the vocal folds is the “glottis”.

17. PHONATION
The exhaled air from the lungs will either:
Pass through the open vocal folds and be modified
in the vocal tract to create a sound; or
Set the vocal folds into vibration and then be
modified in the vocal tract to
create a sound
For Phonation, how are the vocal
folds set into vibration by the
airstream?

18. MYOELASTIC AERODYNAMIC THEORY
Myoelastic refers to ways in which the muscles control the elasticity and
tension on vocal folds so they can be set into vibration and changes can be
made in their frequency and vibration.
Aerodynamic forces determines the vibratory cycle. How the vocal folds are
set into motion.
When vocal folds are adducted (brought together), air pressure in the lungs
increase until released and the vocal folds are “blown” open (opening the
glottis) and puff of air flows through the glottis.

Air pressure below the vocal folds must exceed the air pressure above the vocal folds for
air to pass though to phonate.
The vocal folds then come back together due to:
Instructions from brain to muscles to keep vocal folds adducted during phonation.
Inherent elasticity of the vocal folds (elastic recoil force returns to resting position)
Sudden drop in air pressure below the vocal folds as the vocal folds are forced apart by the airstream below(Bernoulli).
Bernoulli Effect- Flow thorough a constricted passage results in greater velocity at this
constriction but also a lesser pressure. So as the airflow moves through the narrow opening of
the vocal fold that is being created above the airflow, the airflow speed increases and at the
same time the pressure decreases in this area helping to bring the vocal folds together.
The elasticity, tension and mass of the vocal fold determine how the vocal
folds are set into vibration and how their frequency of vibration can change.

19. VIBRATIONS OF VOCAL FOLDS
Top and bottom part of VF are out of synch. Air
stream opens bottom part of folds first, while upper
part is still together. As airstream moves upward, the
VF close beneath. As airstream opens top of VF, the
bottom part of VF is closed/approximated.
Also, evidence that the VF open and close from front
to back as well as up and down (Zipper effect)

20. At rest vocal folds are abducted (creating
space between the folds- the glottis).
For voiceless consonant sounds during
speech, the vocal folds are abducted.
For voiced consonant sounds and vowels and
diphthongs, the vocal folds are adducted and
set into vibration.

21. ARTICULATION &
SUPRALARYNGEAL SYSTEM (VOCAL TRACT)
•After air stream passes though larynx (which will either
produce a vibration or not with the vocal folds), it
passes into the supralaryngeal system (vocal tract)
where the air stream (and vibration if produced) is
further manipulated by the passive and active
articulators into speech sounds. The manipulation of
the air stream by the articulators is called
“articulation”.
–Active articulators
•Lips, Tongue, Vocal Folds, etc.
–Passive articulators (organs or locations in vocal tract
which don’t move)
•Teeth, alveolar ridge, hard palate, etc.

23. SUPRALARYNGEAL SYSTEM
•Supralaryngeal System (also called the “vocal
tract”) is composed of:
–Pharynx (essentially the throat): Further divided
into:
•Laryngopharynx
•Oropharynx
•Nasopharynx
–Oral Cavity
–Nasal Cavity
–Articulators

24. PHARYNX
Pharynx forms the upper part of the
respiratory and digestive system.
Nasal, oral and laryngeal cavities open into the
pharyngeal cavity and correspond to three sections of
the pharynx:
Nasopharynx- (adjacent to posterior portion of nasal
cavity) extends from base of skull superiorly to the level of
the soft palate inferiorly. [For respiration only]
Oropharynx-(adjacent to posterior portion of oral cavity)
extends from soft palate superiorly to the level of the
hyoid bone inferiorly. [For respiration and digestion]
Larynogpharynx-(adjacent to larynx) extends from the
level of the hyoid bone superiorly to divergence of
common pathway for the respiratory/digestive systems (at
divergence have esophagus and larynx). [For respiration
and digestion]

26. NASAL AND ORAL CAVITIES
•Nasal Cavity
–Begins as nostrils (nares) and
continues to nasopharynx.
•Airstream from nasal sounds (“m”, “n”, and “ng”) exit
through the nasal cavity.
•Oral Cavity
–Begins at lips and continues to oropharynx.
•Airstream from all other non-nasal (or nasal influenced)
sounds exit through the oral cavity.
•Nasal and Oral Cavities join at pharynx.

27. ARTICULATORS
•Lips- used in production of such sounds as /w/ or /p/
–Sound produced by the lips are “labial” sounds.
When produced by both lips called “bilabial” sounds.
•Teeth- used in production of such sounds as /f/ and /ɵ/
–Sounds produced by the teeth and lips are called “labiodental”
sounds.
–Sounds produced by the teeth and tongue are called “interdental”
sounds.
•Alveolar Ridge- bony ridge located directly behind upper central
incisors. Used in production of such sounds as /t/, /l/, /s/.
–Sounds produced at the alveolar ridge are called “alveolar” sounds.
•Palate (Hard)- bony structure just posterior to alveolar ridge (roof of
mouth). Used for production of such sounds as /ʃ/
–Sounds produced at the palate are called “palatal” sounds.
Sounds provided are examples and not an exhaustive list.

28. •Velum (Soft Palate)- muscle tissue located posterior to
hard palate. Used in production of sounds such as /k/,
/ŋ/
–Sounds produced at the velum are called “velar” sounds.
–During production of non- nasals velum rises and closes off
the nasopharynx from the oropharynx so airstream
doesn’t go through nasal cavity.
•This is called “velopharyngeal closure”.
–During production of nasal sounds, velum is lowered so air
goes through nasal cavity. Uvula is fleshy structure
hanging down from velum.

29. •Glottis- this is the area between the vocal folds.
Only sound produced when airstream forced
through non- vibrating vocal folds is /h/
–The sole sound produced at the glottis is called a
“glottal” sound.
•Tongue
–Sounds produced by the tongue are called “lingual”
sounds. However, many sounds are produced with
the tongue in conjunction with other articulators.
–Tongue parts include the root, tip (apex), blade, body
(dorsum) (which has front and back parts).

30. Root (can’t
see)






Body (front &
back)=Dorsum





Blade




Tip/Apex