Spectral analysis of strident fricatives in cisgender and transfeminine speakersa).

The spectral features of /s/ and /ʃ/ carry important sociophonetic information regarding a speaker's gender. Often, gender is misclassified as a binary of male or female, but this excludes people who may identify as transgender or nonbinary. In this study, we use a more expansive definition of gender to investigate the acoustics (duration and spectral moments) of /s/ and /ʃ/ across cisgender men, cisgender women, and transfeminine speakers in voiced and whispered speech and the relationship between spectral measures and transfeminine gender expression.

Sex Differences in the Speech of Persons With and Without Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Sex differences are apparent in the prevalence and the clinical presentation of Parkinson's disease (PD), but their effects on speech have been less studied.

Method: Speech acoustics of persons with (34 females and 34 males) and without (age- and sex-matched) PD were examined, assessing the effects of PD diagnosis and sex on ratings of dysarthria severity and acoustic measures of phonation (fundamental frequency standard deviation, smoothed cepstral peak prominence), speech rate (net syllables per second, percent pause ratio), and articulation (articulatory-acoustic vowel space, release burst precision).

Results: Most measures were affected by PD (dysarthria severity, fundamental frequency standard deviation) and sex (smoothed cepstral peak prominence, net syllables per second, percent pause ratio, articulatory-acoustic vowel space), but without interactions between them.

Effect of Anchor Term on Auditory-Perceptual Ratings of Feminine and Masculine Speakers.

Background: Studies investigating auditory perception of gender expression vary greatly in the specific terms applied to gender expression in rating scales.

Purpose: This study examined the effects of different anchor terms on listeners' auditory perceptions of gender expression in phonated and whispered speech. Additionally, token and speaker cues were examined to identify predictors of the auditory-perceptual ratings.

Relationships Across Clinical Measures of Vocal Quality and Functioning and Their Relationship With Patient Perception.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among subjective auditory-perceptual ratings of vocal quality, objective acoustic and aerodynamic measures of vocal function, and patient-perceived severity of their vocal complaint. Method This study was a retrospective chart review of adult patients evaluated at a single outpatient center over a 1.5-year time period.

Acoustic differences between voiced and whispered speech in gender diverse speakers.

Whispered speech is a naturally produced mode of communication that lacks a fundamental frequency. Several other acoustic differences exist between whispered and voiced speech, such as speaking rate (measured as segment duration) and formant frequencies. Previous research has shown that listeners are less accurate at identifying linguistic information (e.

Effect of Phonation on Perception of Femininity/Masculinity in Transgender and Cisgender Speakers.

Many transwomen seek voice and communication therapy to support their transition from their gender assigned at birth to their gender identity. This has led to an increased need to examine the perception of gender and femininity/masculinity to develop evidence-based intervention practices. In this study, we explore the auditory perception of femininity/masculinity in normally phonated and whispered speech.