TY - JOUR

T1 - Effects of Speaking Rate on Breathing and Voice Behavior

AU - Kuhlmann, Laura Lund

AU - Iwarsson, Jenny

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Summary: Objectives. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of speaking rate (habitual andfast) and speech task (reading and spontaneous speech) on seven dependent variables: Breath group size (in syllables),Breath group duration (in seconds), Lung volume at breath group initiation, Lung volume at breath grouptermination, Lung volume excursion for each breath group (in % vital capacity), Lung volume excursion per syllable(in % vital capacity) and mean speaking Fundamental frequency (fO).Methods. Ten women and seven men were included as subjects. Lung volume and breathing behaviors weremeasured by respiratory inductance plethysmography and fO was measured from audio recordings by the Praatsoftware. Statistical significance was tested by analysis of variance.Results. For both reading and spontaneous speech, the group increased mean breath group size and breath groupduration significantly in the fast speaking rate condition. The group significantly decreased lung volume excursion persyllable in fast speech. Females also showed a significant increase of fO in fast speech. The lung volume levels for initiationand termination of breath groups, as well as lung volume excursions in % vital capacity, showed great individualvariations and no significant effects of rate. Significant effects of speech task were found for breath group size and lungvolume excursion per syllable, where reading induced more syllables produced per breath group and less % VC spendper syllable as compared to spontaneous speech. Interaction effects showed that the increases in breath group size andbreath group duration associated with fast rate were significantly larger in reading than in spontaneous speech.Conclusion. Our data from 17 vocally untrained, healthy subjects showed great individual variations but stillsignificant group effects regarding increased speaking rate, where the subjects seemed to spend less air per syllableand inhaled less often as a consequence of greater breath group sizes in fast speech. Subjects showed greaterchanges in breath group patterns as a consequence of fast speech in reading than in spontaneous speech, indicatingthat effects of speaking rate are dependent on the speech task.

AB - Summary: Objectives. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of speaking rate (habitual andfast) and speech task (reading and spontaneous speech) on seven dependent variables: Breath group size (in syllables),Breath group duration (in seconds), Lung volume at breath group initiation, Lung volume at breath grouptermination, Lung volume excursion for each breath group (in % vital capacity), Lung volume excursion per syllable(in % vital capacity) and mean speaking Fundamental frequency (fO).Methods. Ten women and seven men were included as subjects. Lung volume and breathing behaviors weremeasured by respiratory inductance plethysmography and fO was measured from audio recordings by the Praatsoftware. Statistical significance was tested by analysis of variance.Results. For both reading and spontaneous speech, the group increased mean breath group size and breath groupduration significantly in the fast speaking rate condition. The group significantly decreased lung volume excursion persyllable in fast speech. Females also showed a significant increase of fO in fast speech. The lung volume levels for initiationand termination of breath groups, as well as lung volume excursions in % vital capacity, showed great individualvariations and no significant effects of rate. Significant effects of speech task were found for breath group size and lungvolume excursion per syllable, where reading induced more syllables produced per breath group and less % VC spendper syllable as compared to spontaneous speech. Interaction effects showed that the increases in breath group size andbreath group duration associated with fast rate were significantly larger in reading than in spontaneous speech.Conclusion. Our data from 17 vocally untrained, healthy subjects showed great individual variations but stillsignificant group effects regarding increased speaking rate, where the subjects seemed to spend less air per syllableand inhaled less often as a consequence of greater breath group sizes in fast speech. Subjects showed greaterchanges in breath group patterns as a consequence of fast speech in reading than in spontaneous speech, indicatingthat effects of speaking rate are dependent on the speech task.

M3 - Journal article

SP - 1

EP - 11

JO - Journal of Voice

JF - Journal of Voice

SN - 0892-1997

ER -