Question

STT 16.6 if you speak at a certain pitch, then hold your nose and continue speaking at the same pitch, your voice sounds very different. This is because A the fundamental frequency of your vocal cords has changed

B the frequencies of the harmonics of your vocal cords has changed
C The pattern of resonance frequencies of your vocal tract has changed, thus changing the formants

Answer 1

Holding your nose and speaking at the same pitch changes your voice because it alters the resonance frequencies of the vocal tract, changing the formants associated with speech.

Step-by-step explanation:

The student asked why holding your nose and speaking at the same pitch causes your voice to sound very different. The answer is C: The pattern of resonance frequencies of your vocal tract has changed, thus changing the formants. The vocal tract acts as a resonating tube closed at one end, and the shaping of this cavity by the throat, mouth, and tongue positioning adjusts the fundamental frequency and the combination of overtones. When you hold your nose, you alter the resonant properties of this vocal tract, modifying the frequencies of the resonances, which in turn changes the formants. Formants are the resonance frequencies that are most prominent in human speech and contribute to vowel sounds and other speech characteristics. Variations in these resonant frequencies are what make our voices recognizable and allow us to produce different speech sounds.