Vocal cord vibration in the production of consonants: Observation by means of high-speed digital imaging using a fiberscope

To study voice source characteristics in speech, it is essential to record vocal cord vibration simultaneously with the speech signal and to analyze the relationship between the pattern of the vocal cord vibration and the acoustic characteristics of the speech signal. For the purpose of observing vocal cord vibration during running speech, a special high-speed digital image recording system using a flexible fiberoptic endoscope was developed. In the present paper, the general features of the system are described, together with some preliminary results of an analysis of vocal cord vibration in the production of Japanese consonants. Characteristic differences in the pattern of vocal cord vibration between the voiced and the voiceless stop consonants /b/ and /p/, and between the fricatives /s/ and /h/ are described, with special reference to the spectrum characteristics of the inverse-filtered source wave of each consonant.