Acoustics of speech and environmental sounds

Abstract

In this study we present a preliminary acoustic analysis of environmental sound stimuli, based on Gaver’s (1993) classification. Results showed similarities between sounds produced by objects with the same type of material and interaction. We also designed an experiment, where the subjects had to propose onomatopoeic representations for environmental sounds. The onomatopoeic representations used by the subjects shared common speech features (manner and place of articulation, and vowels used).