The relation between larynx height and F0 during the four tones of Mandarin in X-ray movie

The relation between vertical larynx movement and vocal frequency (F0) change has attracted the attention of many researchers. This paper studies the vertical laryngeal position (larynx height) during the four tones of Mandarin, based on the X-ray movie data from one female speaker, with 36 monosyllables in tones. The location and movement of the larynx have been measured, and compared with the variation of the F0 during the four tones. Results show that, during the first tone, the larynx height is weakly correlative with F0, while during the other three tones the larynx height is positively correlative with F0. This suggests that the upward movement of larynx is partially (in tone 1) independent of F0, while the downward movement is accompanied by decreasing F0. And the quantitive mechanism of larynx height and F0 during the four tones can be integrated into articulatory model of vocal tract in Mandarin for better speech synthesis.