Abstract
Speech inhalations, compared to vegetative breathing, are more likely to be associated with open oral postures, i.e., speakers may employ oral as well as nasal inspiration patterns. Past studies have suggested that there may be considerable individual variation for speech breathing behaviors as well. Recently, we have employed electro-optical stomatography (EOS) to assess lip apertures during speech breathing in healthy German-speaking women. The EOS system combines traditional electropalatography (contact sensors) with optical sensors that register distances. Consistent with past work, preliminary data on lip apertures showed that speakers frequently had open-mouth postures during speech breathing. However, the lip sensors of the EOS device, and the full coverage of the upper dentition that it involves, could have induced at least some speakers to adopt an open-mouth posture to a greater degree than usual. Thus, to explore the external validity of our data, this work will compare lip postures for speech breathing in the same speakers with and without the EOS device. We will also assess to what extent oral postures during speech inspirations vary across individuals, across normal and loud speaking conditions, and across speaking tasks that vary in their degree of naturalness.