Files
Abstract
Nasalization refers to the process of speech production in which significant amounts of airflow and sound energy are transmitted through the nasal tract. In phonetics, nasalization is necessary for certain phonemes to be produced in normal speech; and it can also be a normal consequence of coarticulation. In disordered speech, however, inappropriate nasalization can be one of the causes that reduces the intelligibility of speech. Instrumental measurement and analysis techniques are needed for better understanding the relationship between the physiological status and the aerodynamic and acoustic effects of nasalization during speech. The main aim of the research work presented in this dissertation is to investigate the aerodynamic and acoustic effects of nasalization, and to develop objective approaches to measure, analyze, and detect the nasalized segments in speech.