What’s a formant? Towards a
Speech Science Teaching Toolbox
Stephen M. Tasko Ph.D. CCC-SLP
Western Michigan University
Donald S. Finan Ph.D.
University of Northern Colorado
Tasko & Finan ASHA 2011
The Speech Science Toolbox Project
• Finding us
Email:
speechtoolboxproject@gmail.com
Website:
http://homepages.wmich.edu/~stasko/speechtoolboxproject.html
Tasko & Finan ASHA 2011
Difficult Concepts?
• Source Filter theory of speech production
– Understanding resonance
...so how do we teach the concept of resonance?
Tasko & Finan ASHA 2011
Source Filter Theory of Speech Production
Assumptions in a nutshell
• What we hear coming out of someone’s
mouth is the consequence of
– The generation of a sound source
– Filtering of that sound source via the vocal tract’s
resonant properties
• The source and filter operate in a largely
independent manner
Tasko & Finan ASHA 2011
From Titze (1994)
Tasko & Finan ASHA 2011
Standard Illustration of Source Filter Theory
Source
(Phonation)
Filter
(Resonator)
Speech
(What We Hear)
Input Spectrum
Frequency Response
Curve
Output Spectrum
Tasko & Finan ASHA 2011
Same Source, Different Filter
Tasko & Finan ASHA 2011
Different Source, Same Filters
White Noise
Tasko & Finan ASHA 2011
Different Source, Same Filters (Human)
burp
snore
Lip buzz
?
Tasko & Finan ASHA 2011
Different Source, Same Filters (Non-Human)
Tasko & Finan ASHA 2011
Different Source: The Talkbox
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-jrpxL3aP8&noredirect=1
Tasko & Finan ASHA 2011
Tasko & Finan ASHA 2011
Software Aids for Teaching Source-Filter Theory
• Birkholtz
• Huckvale
– Esystem
– VTDemo
Tasko & Finan ASHA 2011
The Speech Science Toolbox Project
• Finding us
Email:
speechtoolboxproject@gmail.com
Website:
http://homepages.wmich.edu/~stasko/speechtoolboxproject.html
Tasko & Finan ASHA 2011