ABSTRACT
In verbal communication in addition of semantic and grammatical aspects, includes: vocabulary, syntax and phoneme, some special voice characteristics were use that called speech prosody. Speech prosody is one of the important factors of communication which includes: intonation, duration, pitch, loudness, stress, rhythm and etc. The aim of this survey is studying some factors of prosody as duration, fundamental frequency range and intonation contour. This study is performed with cross-sectional and descriptive-analytic approach. The participants include 134 male and female between 18-30 years old who normally speak Persian. Two sentences include: an interrogative and one declarative sentence were studied. Voice samples were analyzed by Dr. Speech software [real analysis software] and data were analyzed by statistical test of unilateral variance analysis and in depended T test, and intonation contour was drawn for sentences. Mean of duration between kinds of sentences had a significant difference. Mean of duration had significant difference between female and male. Fundamental frequency range between kinds of sentences had not significant difference. Fundamental frequency range in female is higher than male. Duration is an affective factor in Persian prosody. The higher fundamental frequency range in female is because of different anatomical and physiological mechanisms in phonation system. In addition higher fundamental frequency range in female is the result of an authority of language use in Farsi female. The end part of intonation contour in yes/no question is rising, in declarative sentence is falling
ABSTRACT
Prosody is a very important factor in communication and includes such parameters as: duration, intonation, pitch, stress, rhythm etc. Intonation is the pitch variation in one sentence. Duration is the time taken to utter a voice. The aim of the present study was to evaluate some parameters of prosody such as duration and intonation curve in interrogative sentences among normal Farsi speaking adults in order to determine the characteristics of this aspect of language with an emphasis on laboratory testing. This study was performed as a cross-sectional one. The participants included 134 male and female Farsi speaking individuals aging between 18-30 years. In this study two interrogative sentences with open and closed answers were used. The voice samples were analyzed by Dr. speech -real analysis software. Data analysis incorporated unilateral analysis of variance and an intonation curve was drawn for each sentence. The parameter of duration among men and women was significantly different [p