Acoustics of the Vowel

It seems as if the fundamentals of how we produce vowels and how they are acoustically represented have been clarified: we phonate and articulate. Using our vocal chords, we produce a vocal sound or noise which is then shaped into a specific vowel sound by the resonances of the pharyngeal, oral, and nasal cavities, that is, the vocal tract. Accordingly, the acoustic description of vowels relates to vowelspecific patterns of relative energy maxima in the sound spectra, known as patterns of formants. The intellectual and empirical reasoning presented in this treatise, however, gives rise to scepticism with respect to this understanding of the sound of the vowel. The reflections and materials presented provide reason to argue that, up to now, a comprehensible theory of the acoustics of the voice and of voiced speech sounds is lacking, and consequently, no satisfying understanding of vowels as an achievement and particular formal accomplishment of the voice exists. Thus, the question of the acoustics of the vowel – and with it the question of the acoustics of the voice itself – proves to be an unresolved fundamental problem.

Dieter Maurer (*1955, Zurich) studied education, philosophy and psychology at the universities of Tubingen and Zurich. His dissertation, subsequent research and publications are devoted to inquiry into the formal character of vocal and visual expressions, as aspects of the syntactics of voices and pictures. His work addresses both foundation studies as well as art education. He is currently engaged in research and teaching at the Zurich University of the Arts.