Voice Onset Time (VOT) at 50: Theoretical and practical issues in measuring voicing distinctions

Abstract

Just over fifty years ago, Lisker and Abramson proposed a straightforward measure of acoustic differences among stop consonants of different voicing categories, voice onset time (VOT). Since that time, hundreds of studies have used this method. Here, we review the original definition of VOT, propose some extensions to the definition, and discuss some problematic cases. We propose a set of terms for the most important aspects of VOT and a set of Praat labels that could provide some consistency for future cross-study analyses. Although additions of other aspects of realization of voicing distinctions (F0, amplitude, duration of voicelessness) could be considered, they are rejected as adding too much complexity for what has turned out to be one of the most frequently used metrics in phonetics and phonology.

Acoustic Correlates of the Four-Way Laryngeal Contrast in Marathi

“…Some languages, however, have presented a challenge for purely VOTbased characteriza tion of voicing. Seoul Korean, for example, has three stop categories, two of which are not well differentiated from each other via VOT alone (Abramson & Whalen, 2017;Lisker & Abramson, 1964), at least not in the utteranceinitial position. Evidence has been mounting that another acoustic correlate, namely the fundamental frequency at the onset of the vowel immediately following the stop, contributes greatly to the dis tinction between Korean stop categories (Bang et al, 2018;Cho et al, 2002;Kagaya, 1974;Kang & Guion, 2008;Kim, 2004).…”

“…It is therefore possible that not only VOT, but also voice quality or phonation type (breathy voice) differentiates voiced aspirates from other laryngeal categories (Abramson & Whalen, 2017). Voiced aspirates are often described as breathy voiced stops or simply breathy stops (for simplicity, they will be referred to as "breathy stops" in the remainder of the paper).…”

“…One of the relatively standard assumptions about the breathy voiced stops found in Marathi is their breathy quality (Abramson & Whalen, 2017;Dixit, 1989;Dutta, 2007;Lisker & Abramson, 1964). Therefore, voice quality, or phonation type, is believed to contribute to the differentiation of breathy stops from other stop cat egories (Abramson & Whalen, 2017).…”

Generational changes in Iu-Mien prevoicing

“…We are particularly interested in whether the three-way contrast system of Iu-Mien is preserved and separated from the two series system of English, in which initial /b, d, g/ and /p, t, k/ show short and long VOTs, respectively, with no prevoicing present [2][3][4].…”

L'opposition de voisement chez les apprenants syriens de FLE

“…Si de nombreuses études explorent les corrélats acoustiques et perceptifs de l'opposition de voisement depuis des décennies (Lisker & Abramson, 1964 ;Abramson & Whalen, 2017), rares sont les travaux qui se sont intéressés à ce phénomène dans une situation d'apprentissage du français langue étrangère (désormais FLE), alors qu'il est couramment admis que l'acquisition de cette opposition constitue une difficulté majeure pour les apprenants de FLE. On peut citer le travail très complet de Landron (2017) qui effectue une recherche approfondie sur la production et la XXXIIe Journées d'Études sur la Parole 4-8 June 2018, Aix-en-Provence, France perception du voisement des consonnes orales chez les locuteurs taïwanais, ou encore Birdsong (2003) dont l'échantillon est constitué d'apprenants anglophones tardifs de FLE.…”