Previous research on normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners at a high presentation level (90 dB SPL) suggested that information about speech loudness is contained primarily in the vowel in consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) monosyllables, and that consonant intensity has a negligible effect. The purpose of the present study was to further examine the unique aspects of speech loudness by manipulating consonant-vowel intensity ratios (CVRs), while holding the vowel constant, at a comfortable listening level (70 dB) to determine whether vowels and consonants contribute differentially to the loudness of monosyllabic words with voiced and voiceless consonants. Words edited to have CVRs ranging from -6 to +6 dB were presented to 10 normal-hearing listeners and compared to a standard word with unaltered CVR in an adaptive procedure to obtain the loudness in relative dB. Loudness and overall level as a function of CVR were compared for four word types: CVC words with both voiceless consonants modified; words with only the initial voiceless consonants modified; CVC words with both voiced consonants modified; and words with only the initial voiced consonants modified. Results indicate that the loudness of CVC monosyllables is not based on strict vowel dominance; rather, the overall level of the word and the level of the vowel contribute approximately equally. Possible implications for the design of cochlear implants are presented.
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机译：先前对高表现水平（90 dB SPL）的正常听力和听力障碍听众的研究表明，关于语音响度的信息主要包含在辅音-元音-辅音（CVC）单音节中的元音中，并且辅音强度具有效果可忽略不计。本研究的目的是通过在保持舒适的听觉水平（70 dB）的同时保持元音不变的情况下，通过处理辅音的元音强度比（CVR），进一步检查语音响度的独特方面，以确定元音和辅音是否有差异带有浊音和清音辅音的单音节单词的响度将经过编辑以具有-6到+6 dB的CVR的单词呈现给10个正常听力的听众，并在自适应过程中将其与CVR不变的标准单词进行比较，以获得相对dB的响度。比较了四种单词类型的响度和整体水平作为CVR的功能：两种无声辅音都经过修改的CVC单词；仅修改了初始清音辅音的单词；带有两个辅音的CVC单词已被修改；和仅带有初始浊音辅音的单词。结果表明，CVC单音节的响度不是基于严格的元音优势。相反，单词的整体水平和元音的水平大致相等。本文介绍了人工耳蜗设计的可能含义。
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