Acoustic Cues of Korean Nuclear Tones

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to discuss what acoustic cues are significant in distinguishing Korean nuclear tones acoustically, It is shown that target frequencies. direction of target frequencies. FO of the beginning and ending points . timing of peaks and valleys. duration of the rising and falling phases. duration of the whole tone. and FO of the preceding syllable function as acoustic cues. Peak frequency was crucial in distinguishing High Fall from Low Fall and Full Rise from Low Rise. FO of the beginning point was significant in distinguishing High Fall from Low Fall. Low Rise from Mid Level. and High Level from Full Rise after a voiceless consonant. And FO of the ending point was important in distinguishing High Fall from Low Fall. Direction of target frequencies was significant in distinguishing High Fall from Full Rise and Low Rise from Low Fall. Duration of the whole tone was significant in distinguishing Low Fall from Rise Fall and High Level from Full Rise. The former pair of nuclear tones was also distinguished by Peak timing and the latter pair by valley timing. The FO of the penultimate sylIable was crucial in distinguishing Low Fall from Low Level.