Second formant locus-nucleus patterns: An investigation of spontaneouos French speech

Abstract Data on F 2 measured at the consonant-vowel boundary and in the vowel nucleus - so called locus-nucleus patterns of vowels were analysed in CV sequences in spontaneous speech in French and were compared with the results obtained for different languages such as Swedish. It was found that the F 2 locus-nucleus differences were smaller in spontaneous speech than in reference words, in non-prominent syllables than in prominent syllables, and in given words than in new words. These results were interpreted as reflecting differences in coarticulation, both an anticipatory effect of vowel on the preceding consonant and/or formant undershoot. F 2 locus-nucleus patterns appeared to depend on duration, confirming Lindblom's model (1963), they may also be influenced by other factors such as speaker adaptations to the communicative situation.