Vowel glottalization in English is more likely to occur in prominent word-initial and pre-coda-/t/ positions. Some studies have shown that the low-back vowels are more likely to glottalized than other qualities, presumably due to articulatory connections between tongue retraction and constriction in the larynx. However, no study has investigated whether low-back vowels glottalize more than others when other sources of glottalization are controlled. The current study compares the degree of glottal constriction across peripheral vowels, specifically between the low-front vowel æ and the low-back vowel ɑ. Data are being collected from 20 native English-speaking adults reading a passage designed to balance the number of stressed tokens for peripheral vowels and the occurrences of each vowel in word-initial and pre-coda-/t/ positions. We will measure formant frequencies (F1, F2) and Contact Quotient (CQ), derived from electroglottographic signal. Multiple linear regression analysis will examine the relationship between vowel quality and glottal constriction. It is predicted that vowels characterized by both higher F1 and lower F2 will correlate with higher CQ values, indicating increased likelihood of glottalization for the low-back vowel ɑ. The discussion will center around the unique role of the low-back tongue position in promoting glottalization, independent of previously recognized impacting factors.
Jiaang Dong (Wed,) studied this question.