Monitoring Soft Palate Movements in Speech

A simple photoelectric device has been constructed which permits easy monitoring of soft palate movements in speech. Since its output signal cannot easily be calibrated, it is most useful for detecting the timing of such movements and the relative rather than the absolute amount of velopharyngeal opening. Using it, it has been possible to verify others' findings that: (1) The soft palate is lowered more during vowels preceding a nasal consonant than it is during vowels following a nasal consonant. (2) The soft palate begins to lower for an upcoming nasal consonant as soon as it can, i.e., as soon as it is no longer required to be closed for an obstruent. (3) Other things being equal, the soft palate is typically lowered during the production of so‐called low “oral” vowels such as [a]. [Supported by the National Science Foundation.]