title: Esophageal speaker articulation of /s,z/: a dynamic palatometric assessment.
abstract: Esophageal talker linguapalatal contact patterns and durations during /s/ and /z/ productions were examined using dynamic palatometry instrumentation. It was found that sibilant groove narrowing is a physiologic compensation for a reduced air supply in esophageal speech. The place of esophageal /s, z/ articulation was on the anterior portion of the alveolar ridge as seen in normal speakers. Average medial groove width for esophageal /s/ was narrower than the 5-7-mm groove characteristic of normal speakers. Groove widths averaged 3 mm for /s/ and 4 mm for /z/. Systematic changes in groove widths across speech sounds, syllable position, and vowel context were also observed. Use of a narrower lingual groove was interpreted as a significant articulatory maneuver to meter out a limited intraoral air supply and effect more normal fricative durations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communicative Disorders and Science, University of Tulsa, OK.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Fletcher
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: McCutcheon
mesh_terms: D001184:Articulation Disorders; D006801:Humans; D006928:Hyoid Bone / Q000601:surgery; D007825:Laryngectomy; D007830:Larynx / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010700:Phonetics; D013064:Speech Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013065:Speech Intelligibility; D013068:Speech Production Measurement; D013072:Speech, Esophageal; D014705:Verbal Behavior