THE RELATION AMONG FUNDAMENTAL-FREQUENCY, INTENSITY, AND DURATION VARIES WITH ACCENTUATION

The relation among fundamental frequency (F0), sound intensity, and syllable duration was investigated in subjects who articulated unaccentuated and accentuated nonsense syllables. Subjects were instructed to repeat the syllable [pa] with different accentuation patterns (e.g., pa pa pa pa ... ). A total of 751 syllables from 16 subjects were analyzed. Positive correlations were found between F0, intensity, and syllable duration across accentuated and unaccentuated syllables and within unaccentuated syllables. However, negative correlations were found between duration and F0 and intensity in accentuated syllables. The results suggest that different motor patterns are involved in the generation of accentuated and unaccentuated syllables.