Acoustic correlates of breathy and clear vowels: the case of Khmer

This study investigates acoustic correlates of the putative breathy and clear phonation type contrast in a dialect of Khmer (Cambodian) spoken in Chanthaburi Province, Thailand. The goal is to determine whether this Khmer dialect still preserves this historical contrast. Out of seven acoustic parameters measured, four, namely H-*(1) - H-*(2), H-*(1), - A(1), H-*(1) - (*)A(3), and vowel RMS amplitude successfully distinguished between breathy and clear vowels, with H-*(1) - H-*(2) measured at the beginning of the vowel being the most robust cue. However, the use of these cues varied from speaker to speaker. The H-*(1) - H-*(2) measurement obtained from male speakers' production suggested that the contrast being realized may be that of a tense versus lax voice rather than a breathy versus clear voice. It is concluded that the historical breathy and clear phonation distinction in Khmer is preserved among female speakers, but this distinction may be disappearing or have become a tense versus lax distinction among male speakers. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.