ACOUSTIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CORONAL NASAL /n/ AND LATERAL /l/ IN STANDARD CHINESE

Yijing He; Wai-Sum Lee

doi:10.1109/O-COCOSDA68185.2025.11385100

ACOUSTIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CORONAL NASAL /n/ AND LATERAL /l/ IN STANDARD CHINESE

Department of Linguistics and Translation

Research output: Chapters, Conference Papers, Creative and Literary Works › RGC 32 - Refereed conference paper (with host publication) › peer-review

Abstract

This study compares the acoustic properties of the Standard Chinese /n/ and /l/ in different prevocalic and tonal contexts The speech data of eight Mandarin speakers show that the distinction between /n/ and /l/ primarily lies in the spectral energy distribution along the frequency scale, regardless of the contexts in which two consonants occur. While /l/ exhibits enhanced high-frequency energy, /n/ displays a more skewed spectral shape with energy concentrated in the lower frequency region. The frequency-related features of /n/ and /l/ play a relatively minor role in distinction. Generally /n/ and /l/ share similar formant patterns, but the formant values of /l/ show more variation in different vowel contexts, presumably due to more coarticulation with the following vowel. There is no apparent tonal context effect on the acoustic properties of the two coronal consonants. ©2025 IEEE.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	2025 28th Conference of the Oriental COCOSDA International Committee for the Co-ordination and Standardisation of Speech Databases and Assessment Techniques (O-COCOSDA)
Publisher	IEEE
ISBN (Electronic)	979-8-3315-8962-2
ISBN (Print)	979-8-3315-8963-9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/O-COCOSDA68185.2025.11385100
Publication status	Published - 2025
Event	The 28th International Conference of the Oriental COCOSDA - Universitas Kristen Duta Wacana, Yogyakarta, Indonesia Duration: 12 Nov 2025 → 14 Nov 2025 https://ococosda2025.id

Conference

Conference	The 28th International Conference of the Oriental COCOSDA
Abbreviated title	O-COCOSDA 2025
Place	Indonesia
City	Yogyakarta
Period	12/11/25 → 14/11/25
Internet address	https://ococosda2025.id

Research Keywords

Coronal Lateral And Nasal
Formant Frequencies
Spectral Energy Distribution
Prevocalic And Tonal Contexts
Standard Chinese

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10.1109/O-COCOSDA68185.2025.11385100

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@inproceedings{1b46b31cf1874eba94151d413ccbcd71,

title = "ACOUSTIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CORONAL NASAL /n/ AND LATERAL /l/ IN STANDARD CHINESE",

abstract = "This study compares the acoustic properties of the Standard Chinese /n/ and /l/ in different prevocalic and tonal contexts The speech data of eight Mandarin speakers show that the distinction between /n/ and /l/ primarily lies in the spectral energy distribution along the frequency scale, regardless of the contexts in which two consonants occur. While /l/ exhibits enhanced high-frequency energy, /n/ displays a more skewed spectral shape with energy concentrated in the lower frequency region. The frequency-related features of /n/ and /l/ play a relatively minor role in distinction. Generally /n/ and /l/ share similar formant patterns, but the formant values of /l/ show more variation in different vowel contexts, presumably due to more coarticulation with the following vowel. There is no apparent tonal context effect on the acoustic properties of the two coronal consonants. {\textcopyright}2025 IEEE.",

keywords = "Coronal Lateral And Nasal, Formant Frequencies, Spectral Energy Distribution, Prevocalic And Tonal Contexts, Standard Chinese",

author = "Yijing He and Wai-Sum Lee",

year = "2025",

doi = "10.1109/O-COCOSDA68185.2025.11385100",

language = "English",

isbn = "979-8-3315-8963-9",

booktitle = "2025 28th Conference of the Oriental COCOSDA International Committee for the Co-ordination and Standardisation of Speech Databases and Assessment Techniques (O-COCOSDA)",

publisher = "IEEE",

address = "United States",

note = "The 28th International Conference of the Oriental COCOSDA, O-COCOSDA 2025 ; Conference date: 12-11-2025 Through 14-11-2025",

url = "https://ococosda2025.id",

}

He, Y & Lee, W-S 2025, ACOUSTIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CORONAL NASAL /n/ AND LATERAL /l/ IN STANDARD CHINESE. in 2025 28th Conference of the Oriental COCOSDA International Committee for the Co-ordination and Standardisation of Speech Databases and Assessment Techniques (O-COCOSDA). IEEE, The 28th International Conference of the Oriental COCOSDA, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 12/11/25. https://doi.org/10.1109/O-COCOSDA68185.2025.11385100

ACOUSTIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CORONAL NASAL /n/ AND LATERAL /l/ IN STANDARD CHINESE. / He, Yijing ; Lee, Wai-Sum.
2025 28th Conference of the Oriental COCOSDA International Committee for the Co-ordination and Standardisation of Speech Databases and Assessment Techniques (O-COCOSDA). IEEE, 2025.

Research output: Chapters, Conference Papers, Creative and Literary Works › RGC 32 - Refereed conference paper (with host publication) › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - ACOUSTIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CORONAL NASAL /n/ AND LATERAL /l/ IN STANDARD CHINESE

AU - He, Yijing

AU - Lee, Wai-Sum

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - This study compares the acoustic properties of the Standard Chinese /n/ and /l/ in different prevocalic and tonal contexts The speech data of eight Mandarin speakers show that the distinction between /n/ and /l/ primarily lies in the spectral energy distribution along the frequency scale, regardless of the contexts in which two consonants occur. While /l/ exhibits enhanced high-frequency energy, /n/ displays a more skewed spectral shape with energy concentrated in the lower frequency region. The frequency-related features of /n/ and /l/ play a relatively minor role in distinction. Generally /n/ and /l/ share similar formant patterns, but the formant values of /l/ show more variation in different vowel contexts, presumably due to more coarticulation with the following vowel. There is no apparent tonal context effect on the acoustic properties of the two coronal consonants. ©2025 IEEE.

AB - This study compares the acoustic properties of the Standard Chinese /n/ and /l/ in different prevocalic and tonal contexts The speech data of eight Mandarin speakers show that the distinction between /n/ and /l/ primarily lies in the spectral energy distribution along the frequency scale, regardless of the contexts in which two consonants occur. While /l/ exhibits enhanced high-frequency energy, /n/ displays a more skewed spectral shape with energy concentrated in the lower frequency region. The frequency-related features of /n/ and /l/ play a relatively minor role in distinction. Generally /n/ and /l/ share similar formant patterns, but the formant values of /l/ show more variation in different vowel contexts, presumably due to more coarticulation with the following vowel. There is no apparent tonal context effect on the acoustic properties of the two coronal consonants. ©2025 IEEE.

KW - Coronal Lateral And Nasal

KW - Formant Frequencies

KW - Spectral Energy Distribution

KW - Prevocalic And Tonal Contexts

KW - Standard Chinese

U2 - 10.1109/O-COCOSDA68185.2025.11385100

DO - 10.1109/O-COCOSDA68185.2025.11385100

M3 - RGC 32 - Refereed conference paper (with host publication)

SN - 979-8-3315-8963-9

BT - 2025 28th Conference of the Oriental COCOSDA International Committee for the Co-ordination and Standardisation of Speech Databases and Assessment Techniques (O-COCOSDA)

PB - IEEE

T2 - The 28th International Conference of the Oriental COCOSDA

Y2 - 12 November 2025 through 14 November 2025

ER -

ACOUSTIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CORONAL NASAL /n/ AND LATERAL /l/ IN STANDARD CHINESE

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