Fundamental frequency onset and offset behavior: A comparative study of children and adults

Short-term changes in vowel fundamental frequency (F₀) immediately preceding (F₀ offset) and following (F₀ onset) production of voiceless obstruents were examined in groups of 4-year-olds, 8-year-olds, and 21-year-olds. Definitive patterns of laryngeal behavior were observed for each measure. F₀ was found to significantly lower at vowel offset across age groups, with no significant differences noted between groups, suggesting that F₀ offset is simply an acoustic consequence of producing a voiceless obstruent preceded by a vowel. The F₀ at vowel onset was high and significantly decreased thereafter. Age-related differences were identified for F₀ onset with 4-year-olds in that their F₀ rose to a lesser degree than that of adults. However, adult females demonstrated a greater change in both F₀ onset and F₀ offset behavior than adult males and children, suggesting that age-related differences in F₀ behavior are likely to be influenced by sex. The results are discussed with regard to the physiologic constraints of F₀ surrounding voiceless obstruent production in children and adults.