Effect of Age on Vowel Duration in Kannada

Abstract

The present study investigated the developmental changes in vowel duration in Kannada (Mysore dialect) in normal subjects. Audio recordings of 73 bisyllabic words (CVCV) incorporating one of the 10 vowels of Kannada in a carrier phrase served as the material. Ten subjects each in the age groups of 7-8 years; 14-15 years and 20-30 years participated in the study. Using the software package SSL (VSS, Bangalore) vowel duration was extracted. The results indicated a decrease in vowel duration from children to adults. Also, this developmental trend was more evident in short vowels compared to long vowels. The data can be used for vowel synthesis and recognition. The data can also be used as norms in the assessment and therapeutic aspects of speech disorders.