Which spectrogram/waveform matches which transcription? How can you tell? Explain with at least two concrete examples how you decided which is which.

Part One: Acoustics of the 416

On the next page are two spectrograms + waveforms, labeled X and Y, both from recordings of me saying “Toronto”.

Here are two transcriptions of this name:

A) [tʰə.ˈɹɑn.ˌtʰoʊ]
B) [ˈtʃɹɑ.nə]

Examine the spectrograms/waveforms, and answer the following questions:

Which spectrogram/waveform matches which transcription? How can you tell? Explain with at
least two concrete examples how you decided which is which.

According to the transcription of these two place names given above: there should be a total of three periods of voiceless fricative noise in these spectrograms. Using the transcriptions as a guide: locate where the voiceless fricatives are, and label them with their correct IPA symbol. Remember to use their voicing as a guide!

In each of the spectrograms, locate and label one period where there is voicing, and describe which segment or segments it is associated with in the transcription.

In class we discussed several phonetic correlates of stress in English and two of them were pitch and loudness. Looking at the blue pitch tracks on these recordings, and the waveforms, and the transcriptions: do you think the changes in pitch and amplitude in these recordings reflect the expected stress patterns of these two words? Explain with a sentence or two per word.

Spectrogram/Waveform X:
Spectrogram/Waveform Y

Last Completed Projects