It is known that subglottal pressure (Ps) is a major factor in the control of fundamental frequency (F0) in speech. Yet, the details of this relation remain unclear. Estimates of the dF0/dPs ratio obtained from speech and special phonation tasks yield values between 5 and 13 Hz/cm aq. 'Push-in-the-stomach' experiments, on the other hand, tend towards values of 3-5 Hz/cm aq. Our experiments aim at resolving this discrepancy. We have made simultaneous registrations of subglottal and oral pressure, laryngeal EMG, EGG, and lung volume during a number of phonation tasks. Our present results suggest that in the push-in-the-stomach experiments F0 lags Ps to such an extent that the full effect of changes in Ps is not attained before the subject starts compensating (in one way or another) for the disturbance in Ps. Thus, these experiments tend to underestimate the dF0/dPs ratio in undisturbed phonation tasks. Implications for the explanation of declination in speech will be discussed.

[Research supported by the Foundation for Linguistics, funded by N.W.O.]

Technical Committee: Speech Communication.

(PACS) Subject Classification number(s): 43.70.Aj, 43.70.Bk