Tongue variability increases in second-language Lombard speech

Speech uttered in the native language (L1) in noise might be acoustically changed in terms of prosodic features as well as segmental ones. This phenomenon is known as the Lombard effect. Recent studies have indicated that the Lombard effect might also occur in the speaker’s second language (L2). However, the articulatory behaviors and acoustic characteristics of L2 speech production are not yet well understood. In this study, we utilized an ultrasound device to measure these behaviors and characteristics in nine speakers. The results showed that the tongue variability was high in noise and in L2 with large variations among speakers.