68 



THE STUDY OF SPEECH CURVES. 



Depew vowels they begin with rising pitch and rising amplitude. From 

 these and from many other cases by different speakers we can deduce the 

 general law that in American EngUsh an initial vowel begins with low pitch 



and very small amplitude, and steadily rises 

 to a maximum. This is certainly different 



10 20 30 40 50 60 70 60 90 fOO 



Fig. 60. — Melody plot. Beginning of [a] 

 "also." Mitchell. 



10 ZO 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 lOO 



Fig. 61. — Amplitude plot. Beginning of [o] 

 " also." Mitchell. 



from the case in German initial vowels, although not enough cases of Ger- 

 man have been studied to make a definite conclusion possible for them. 

 No curves of Enghsh or French speakers have been studied. 



Another peculiarity of these plots is at once noticed; the vibrations 



begin irregularly in pitch. The irregular- 

 ity is small in the Depew record and much 

 larger in the Mitchell record. This is due 



10 29 30 40 50 60 70 60 90 100 



Fig, 62 — Melody plot. Beginning of [jb] 

 "America." Mitchell. 



cb m 



Fig. 63. — Amplitude plot. Beginning of 

 [le] "America." Mitchell. 



