The acoustic character of fricated /t/in Australian English: A comparison with /s/ and

Australian English /t/ has a fricative realisation in some contexts. The presence of an additional surface fricative in the language raises questions about potential merger and the maintenance of contrasts. An orthographic representation of fricated /t/ as (sh) suggests a similarity to the existing fricative /∫/. This paper compares the acoustic characteristics of fricated realisations of /t/ in Australian English with those of /J/ and /s/, the fricatives judged most likely to be acoustically similar. The findings suggest a great degree of similarity to /∫/ in terms of spectral measures, with duration being the most likely perceptual means of distinguishing fricated /t/ from /∫/.