The articulation of the velar consonants in Spanish
Keywords:
Articulation, Velar, Uvular, MRI, SpanishAbstract
The articulation of the Spanish consonants /k, ɡ, x/ is described by means of the analysis of two collections of magnetic resonance images, in 2D and 3D. In the first place, with regard to the area of articulation, the data show a tendency towards more backward articulations (context-independent) according to the series [k - ɡ - ɣ̞ - x]: [k] is almost always velar, [ɡ] is pronounced both velar and uvular [ɢ], the approximant [ɣ̞] is almost always uvular [ʁ̞], the same as [x], which is usually [χ]. Secondly, the contact area of the occlusion of [k] tends to be greater than that of [ɡ]; this fact can be related to a greater articulatory tension degree of the unvoiced element. In the third place, the constrictions of the approximant and the fricative are examined, in which both a wide and a narrow constriction zone are segmented. The data are not conclusive, but it seems that the wide zone is higher in the fricative realizations, while the narrow one is higher in the approximants.
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