Tongue Height, Vowel Quality and Nasality in Québec French: An Acoustic and Articulatory Study

Abstract

This paper employs ultrasound and nasometric instruments in a variable-rate reading task to examine regressive nasalization in Québec French. We measure tongue height according to nasality of context, as well as percent nasality (via an energy-based ratio formula) and vowel duration. Results show high degrees of nasalization for high vowels and certain mid vowels for the group as a whole, and that certain speakers increase the nasal salience of mid and/or high vowels, while others modulate tongue height to undo displacement of the percepts of vowel height as the result of nasal coupling.