ACOUSTIC CHARACTERISTICS OF VOICELESS FRICATIVES IN MANDARIN CHINESE.

Acoustic analysis was conducted to identify the acoustic correlates for the place distinction in Mandarin voiceless fricatives. Eleven spectral, amplitude, and duration measures that have been shown to classify fricatives in English were analyzed to evaluate whether they can similarly classify fricatives in Mandarin. The results showed that each place contrast was associated with at least two measures, but no single measure classified all fricatives. The measures that were most effective in classifying fricative place also differed between the two languages. These results were interpreted in terms of the articulatory-acoustic relationship in the context of the acoustic theory of speech production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]