Phonetics: The Basics of Acoustic Phonetics 1.1

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This exercise is designed to help you become familiar with introductory level material concerning acoustic phonetics, sound measurements, and the physical properties of speech sounds. These are very basic questions that can be mastered through a little working of your memory.

This is a true/false exercise.

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Question 1

The amplitude of a sound is the rate and number of sound wave cycles.

A	False
B	True Hint: Frequency is the rate and number of sound wave cycles. Amplitude, on the other hand, is the measurement of the intensity or strength of a sound.

Question 2

The greater the change in a sound wave, the weaker the amplitude.

A	False
B	True Hint: The greater the change in a sound wave, the greater the amplitude, since the changes represent the movement/displacement of air molecules. The more movement there is, the more sound there is.

Question 3

Sine waves are superposed sound waves that repeat at precise, regular intervals of multiples of the F0, creating a complex sound wave.

A	True Hint: Harmonics are superposed sound waves that repeat at precise, regular intervals of multiples of the F0, creating complex sound waves. A sine wave is the simplest sound wave that, when produced alone, sounds like an irritating chirp. They are not generally perceived in nature.
B	False

Question 4

The majority of human sounds falls between 1000 and 4000 Hz.

A	True Hint: The majority of human sounds falls between 250 and 4000 Hz.
B	False

Question 5

Frequency is the rate at which a sound wave cycles from crest to trough.

A	True
B	False

Question 6

The source of a sound modifies the filter.

A	False
B	True Hint: The opposite is true: the filter modifies the air pressure that exits the source of airflow.

Question 7

Amplitude is measured in hertz (Hz).

A	True Hint: Frequency is measured in hertz (Hz), which represents the number of cycles per second.
B	False

Question 8

The darker the bands of formants observed on a spectrogram, the more sonorous, or audible the sound.

A	False
B	True

Question 9

Different combinations of frequencies account for the difference in the sounds that you recognize around you.

A	True
B	False Hint: The variety of alterations in formants and frequencies distinguish sounds from one another.

Question 10

The tongue is a source of sound.

A	True Hint: The tongue is a filter since it is used to manipulate space in the vocal tract.
B	False

Question 11

A sound wave can be described as the repetition of high and low air pressure.

A	True
B	False Hint: Sound waves are variations of air pressure that are decoded as speech based on frequencies and shapes of formants.

Question 12

Harmonics are pure tones that are common in nature.

A	False Hint: Do not confuse harmonics with sine waves.
B	True

Question 13

Aperiodic sound waves show the degree of alteration of air particles during changes in atmospheric pressure.

A	False
B	True Hint: Amplitude shows the degree of alteration of air particles during changes in atmospheric pressure. Aperiodic sound waves do not display degrees of change in air pressure but rather show irregular patterns of sound waves known as turbulence.

Question 14

Formants can be observed in a spectrogram as a conglomeration of dark bands. The darker the bands, the more sonorous, or audible the sound.

A	False
B	True

Question 15

Aperiodic sound waves show a regular pattern in the crests and troughs.

A	False
B	True Hint: Periodic sound waves show regular patterns. Aperiodic sound waves, on the other hand, show irregular patterns with no precise repetition.

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There are 15 questions to complete.

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Phonetics: The Basics of Acoustic Phonetics 1.1

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