Observations on Filmed and Filtered Vowels

Abstract

SOME specimens of film curves of German vowels obtained by the Vienna method of recording (wire in magnetic field slantways across a slit¹) are reproduced in Fig. 1. Inspection of the curves reveals the following facts: (1) A vowel is made up of a series of adjacent vibration profiles; (2) the profiles differ progressively in length, amplitude, and form; (3) each profile begins strong and becomes steadily weaker; (4) within each profile various characteristics, for example, maxima, are repeated; (5) different vowels show systematic differences of profile. Measurements reveal the following additional facts; (6) the frequencies of the inner repetitions change within each profile; (7) the rate of weakening changes within each profile.