Palatometer Database, Model 4333

The Palatometer Database and Program, Model 4333, consists of a database and a program for viewing this database. The database is used as a teaching tool to show the correlation between acoustics and tongue contact with the upper teeth and palate. It offers a unique opportunity to examine lingual activity as the tongue moves to different sites along the palate and the teeth to produce different speech sounds. The linguapalatal display is updated in real time as a cursor is moved through either waveform or spectrogram. Selected portions of the acoustic signal can be played for critical listening.  

The Palatometer database and program includes a
 database of files and a program for viewing. In the figure
 above, a colored spectrogram is presented with a waveform
 (with time-linked IPA symbols) and palatogram). Cursor in
 spectrogram and waveform are linked to palatogram display.
 Note that speaker is positioned for a “t” sound.

The Database 

The database consists of 146 files of English speech with both acoustic waveform and palatometric (linguapalatal contact) displays. One male and one female speaker were used for the database; both speakers are phoneticians.  

Close-up of palatogram. Each dot
represents a contact electrode on the
pseudopalate worn by the subject on the
 upper palate and teeth.  The pattern above
is the "n" sound with dots in blue showing
 contact of the tongue at that location on
the upper palate/teeth.

The speech corpus consists of a variety of standard paragraphs and words as follows:

Passage Qty. 

North Wind and the Sun 18 

Rainbow Passage 17 

Grandfather Passage 24 

Structured Photographic Articulation Test 

Featuring Dudsberry (SPAT-D) 58 

Lingual Articulation Samples Following the IPA 29  

The IPA consonantal sounds were chosen and sequenced to demonstrate linguapalatal contact patterns in a systematic, gradual progression in phonetic quality from one manner of articulation to the next. A Palatometer is not required to use this database.

This figure is an expanded portion of the Grandfather
Passage (i.e., “you wish”). The palatogram is showing the
linguapalatal contact during the “you” diphthong. 
 Students can easily explore the database and then
 scroll the cursor across the waveform and the spectrogram.

Easy to Use 

The Palatometer Database and Program includes pull-down menus to retrieve database files and perform analysis. As a default setup, any file retrieved is automatically displayed with IPA symbols, a waveform, and a wideband spectrogram.

Features 

• Great educational tool to show students the link between physiology and acoustics

• Database offers a rich sampling of articulatory patterns from two speakers

• Full-featured program for acoustic analysis

• All windows are sizable and movable before, and after, analysis

Subject wearing pseudopalate
with two thin cables (each
containing 48 wires) shown
exiting the mouth. The custom
pseudopalate is molded to
teeth and palate. It is very thin
to minimize effects on pronunciation.

Summary

The Palatometer Database and Program provides a rich resource of educational files for teaching acoustic phonetic sciences. It is especially unique in illustrating the relationships between physiology and acoustics. It does not require the Palatometer because all of the necessary files are included in the database. This package facilitates easy demonstration of complex phonetic science principles in an easy-to-use program and database.

The program provides convenient access to all of
 the database files.

Current CSL, Model 4500 and 4150, software and database options include:

• Analysis-Synthesis Laboratory (ASL), Model 5104

• Applied Speech Science for Dysarthrias, Model 5153

• Applied Speech Science for Voice & Resonance Disorders, Model 5156

• Auditory Feedback Tools, Model 3506

• Disordered Voice Database, Model 4337

• Games, Model 5167

• Motor Speech Profile, Model 5141

• Multi-Dimensional Voice Program, Model 5105

• Neuroscience for Human Communications, Model 5155

• Palatometer Database, Model 4333

• Phonetic & Perception Simulation Programs, Model 5151

• Phonetic Database, Model 4332

• Real-Time EGG Analysis, Model 5138

• Real-Time Pitch, Model 5121

• Real-Time Spectrogram, Model 5129

• Respiration, Phonation and Prosody Simulation, Model 5152

• Signal Enhancement Program, Model 5142

• Sona-Match, Model 5127

• Speech Articulation: Animation of Muscle Vectors, Model 5154

• Video Phonetics Program and Database, Model 5150

• Voice Range Profile, Model 4326 

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