Maximum duration of sustained /s/ and /z/ and the s/z ratio with controlled intensity.
The purpose of this study was to compare maximum prolongations of controlled-intensity /s/ vs. /z/ in young healthy male and female adults and to compare the s/z ratio in young men and women. Twenty young adult men and 20 young adult women were included in this study. Participants produced 10 trials of /s/ and 10 of /z/ with a controlled intensity of 60-dB sound-pressure level (SPL). Maximum prolongations and s/z ratio were determined by three different methods: based on the longest out of 10 trials, the longest of 3 trials, and an average of the first 3 trials. Results revealed that based on averaged group data, /s/ and /z/ seemed to be prolonged for similar durations. Men consistently prolonged both phonemes significantly longer than women. There were no significant differences in s/z ratio between men and women. However, when individual data were reviewed, it seemed that some subjects consistently prolonged /s/ for a longer duration than /z/, some subjects prolonged /z/ longer than /s/, and some subjects actually produced approximately equal durations of the two phonemes. It was further noted that /s/ durations were more favorably impacted by practice than /z/ durations.
Gelfer
Marylou Pausewang
MP
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA. gelfer@uwm.edu
Pazera
John F
JF
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010699:Phonation / Q000502:physiology*; D010700:Phonetics; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012737:Sex Factors; D013068:Speech Production Measurement; D013997:Time Factors