Voice low tone to high tone ratio (VLHR) is defined as the power ratio of a voice spectrum with a specific cut-off frequency. Previous studies have shown that there are significant correlations between VLHR and nasalance and hypernasality ratings in vowels. The correlation was investigated in this study using connected speech material.
Design
The Zoo Passage, the Rainbow Passage, the English Nasal Sentences, the Mandarin Nonnasal Sentences, and the Mandarin Nasal Sentences were used to acquire VLHRs, nasalance scores, and perceptual judgments of nasality. Each passage was recorded twice for averaging, and the cut-off frequencies from 200 Hz to 1200 Hz were used to survey for the presence of optimal correlations with VLHR.
Participants
Ten native Mandarin speakers with an English learning history of over 8 years were enrolled.
Main outcome measures
VLHRs, nasalance scores, and hypernasality ratings.
Results
The correlations of VLHR with nasalance (rho = .76, p < .001, Spearman rank correlation) and nasality ratings (rho = .81, p < .001) were significant using a cut-off frequency of 300 Hz for the English passages. For the Mandarin Sentences, the optimal correlations of VLHR with nasalance (rho = .83, p < .001) and nasality ratings (rho = .79, p < .001) were identified using a cut-off frequency of 500-Hz.
Conclusion
The significant correlations of VLHR with nasalance and perceptual ratings of nasality using connected speech show that these approaches have a potential value in terms of basic and clinical application.
AwanS.N.Analysis of nasalance: NasalView. In: ZieglerW.DegerK., eds. Clinical Phonetics and Linguistics.London: Whurr-Publishers;1998: 518–525.
2.
BlumsteinS.StevensK.Perceptual invariance and onset spectra for stop consonants in different vowel environments. J Acoust Soc Am.1980; 67: 648.
3.
BressmannT.KlaimanP.FischbachS.Same noses, different nasalance scores: data from normal subjects and cleft palate speakers for three systems for nasalance analysis. Clin Linguist Phon.2006; 20: 163–170.
4.
BundyE.L.ZajacD.J.Estimation of transpalatal nasalance during production of voiced stop consonants by noncleft speakers using an oral-nasal mask. Cleft Palate Craniofac J.2006; 43: 691–701.
5.
CurtisJ.F.The acoustics of nasalized speech. Cleft Palate J.1970; 7: 380–396.
6.
DalstonR.M.NeimanG.S.Gonzalez-LandaG.Nasometric sensitivity and specificity: a cross-dialect and cross-culture study. Cleft Palate Craniofac J.1993; 30: 285–291.
7.
DalstonR.M.WarrenD.W.DalstonE.T.Use of nasometry as a diagnostic tool for identifying patients with velopharyngeal impairment. Cleft Palate Craniofac J.1991; 28: 184–188.
8.
de Carvalho-TelesV.Pegoraro-KrookM.I.LaurisJ.R.Speech evaluation with and without palatal obturator in patients submitted to maxillectomy. J Appl Oral Sci.2006; 14: 421–426.
9.
DejonckereP.Hogen EschT.Nasometric assessment of hypernasality in children: optimalized speech material and normative values. Presented at the Advances in Pediatric ORL: Proceedings of the 8th International Congress of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology; 11–14 September 2002. Oxford, UK.
10.
FairbanksG.Voice and Articulation Drillbook.New York: Harper & Row;1960: 127.
11.
FantG.Acoustic Theory of Speech Production.The Hague, Netherlands: Mouton;1960.
12.
FengG.CastelliE.Some acoustic features of nasal and nasalized vowels: a target for vowel nasalization. J Acoust Soc Am.1996; 99: 3694–3706.
13.
FletcherS.G.Contingencies for bioelectronic modification of nasality. J Speech Hear Disord.1972; 37: 329.
14.
FletcherS.G.“Nasalance” vs. listner judgements of nasality. Cleft Palate J.1976; 13: 31–44.
GelfandS.A.Hearing: An Introduction to Psychological and Physiological Acoustics.London: Informa Healthcare;2010: 72.
17.
HattoriS.YamamotoK.FujimuraO.Nasalization of vowels in relation to nasals. J Acoust Soc Am.1958; 30: 267–274.
18.
HawkinsS.StevensK.N.Acoustic and perceptual correlates of the non-nasal-nasal distinction for vowels. J Acoust Soc Am.1985; 77: 1560–1575.
19.
Hogen EschT.DejonckereP.Objectivating nasality in healthy and velopharyngeal insufficient children with the Nasalance Acquisition System (NasalView). Defining minimal required speech tasks assessing normative values for Dutch language. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol.2004; 68: 1039–1046.
JassemW.The formants of fricative consonants. Lang Speech.1965; 8: 1.
22.
KayPENTAX.Software Instruction Manual for Nasometer II Model 6400.Pine Brook, NJ: Lincoln Park;2007.
23.
KummerA.W.BillmireD.A.MyerCM3rd. Hypertrophic tonsils: the effect on resonance and velopharyngeal closure. Plast Reconstr Surg.1993; 91: 608–611.
24.
LeeG.S.WangC.P.FuS.Evaluation of hypernasality in vowels using voice low tone to high tone ratio. Cleft Palate Craniofac J.2009; 46: 47–52.
25.
LeeG.S.WangC.P.YangC.C.H.KuoT.B.J.Voice low tone to high tone ratio: a potential quantitative index for vowel [a:] and its nasalization. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng.2006; 53: 1437–1439.
26.
LeeG.S.YangC.C.H.KuoT.B.J.Voice low tone to high tone ratio—a new index for nasal airway assessment. Chin J Physiol.2003; 46: 123–127.
27.
LeeL.S.TsengC.Y.Ouh-YoungM.The synthesis rules in a Chinese text-to-speech system. IEEE Trans Acoust Speech Signal Process.1989; 37: 1309–1320.
28.
Lindqvist-GauffinJ.SundbergJ.Acoustic properties of the nasal tract. Phonetica.1976; 33: 161–168.
29.
LitzawL.L.DalstonR.M.The effect of gender upon nasalance scores among normal adult speakers. J Commun Disord.1992; 25: 55–64.
30.
MayoR.FloydL.A.WarrenD.W.DalstonR.M.MayoC.M.Nasalance and nasal area values: cross-racial study. Cleft Palate Craniofac J.1996; 33: 143–149.
Pinborough-ZimmermanJ.CanadyC.YamashiroD.K.MoralesLJr. Articulation and nasality changes resulting from sustained palatal fistula obturation. Cleft Palate Craniofac J.1998; 35: 81–87.
33.
PrathaneeB.ThanaviratananichS.PongjunyakulA.RengpatanakijK.Nasalance scores for speech in normal Thai children. Scand J Plast Reconstr Surg Hand Surg.2003; 37: 351–355.
34.
SeaverE.J.DalstonR.M.LeeperH.A.AdamsL.E.A study of nasometric values for normal nasal resonance. J Speech Hear Res.1991; 34: 715–721.
35.
SoleM.J.Phonetic and phonological processes: the case of nasalization. Lang Speech.1992; 35: 29–43.
StevensK.Airflow and turbulence noise for fricative and stop consonants: static considerations. J Acoust Soc Am.1971; 50: 1180.
38.
StevensK.N.Acoustic Phonetics.London: The MIT Press; 1998: 323–377.
39.
StrevensP.Spectra of fricative noise in human speech. Lang Speech.1960; 3: 32.
40.
TachimuraT.MoriC.HirataS.I.WadaT.Nasalance score variation in normal adult Japanese speakers of Mid-West Japanese dialect. Cleft Palate Craniofac J.2000; 37: 463–467.
41.
Van LierdeK.M.De BodtM.BaetensI.SchrauwenV.Van CauwenbergeP.Outcome of treatment regarding articulation, resonance and voice in Flemish adults with unilateral and bilateral cleft palate. Folia Phoniatr Logop.2003; 55: 80–90.
42.
Van LierdeK.M.WuytsF.L.BonteK.Van CauwenbergeP.The nasality severity index: an objective measure of hypernasality based on a multiparameter approach. A pilot study. Folia Phoniatr Logop.2007; 59: 31–38.
43.
VogelA.P.IbrahimH.M.ReillyS.KilpatrickN.A comparative study of two acoustic measures of hypernasality. J Speech Lang Hear Res.2009; 52: 1640–1651.
44.
WaltonJ.H.OrlikoffR.F.Speaker race identification from acoustic cues in the vocal signal. J Speech Hear Res.1994; 37: 738–745.
YorkstonK.M.BeukelmanD.R.HonsingerM.J.Perceived articulatory adequacy and velopharyngeal function in dysarthric speakers. Arch Phys MedRehabil.1989; 70: 313–317.
47.
YoungerR.DicksonR.I.Adult pharyngoplasty for velopharyngeal insufficiency. J Otolaryngol.1985; 14: 158–162.
