Effect of Creaky Voice Simulation of Third-Tone Perception in Mandarin Chinese

Abstract

Mandarin tones have traditionally been described by differences in pitch. However, the second tone (rising) and third tone (low/dipping) are perceptually close and have been shown to be a problematic pair for L1 and L2 Mandarin learners. Creaky voice has been observed in third-tone production, and has been shown to aid accurate identification. This study finds that creaky voice resynthesized in second-tone tokens can cause third tone identification, which leads to a reconsideration of the role of phonation, in comparison with pitch, when listeners distinguish these two tones.