Automatic analysis of singleton and geminate consonant articulation using real-time magnetic resonance imaging

We explore robust methods of automatically quantifying constriction location, constriction degree and gestural kinematics of Italian short and long consonants using direct image analysis techniques applied to rtMRI data. Articulatory kinematics are estimated from correlated regional changes in pixel intensity. We demonstrate that these methods are capable of quantifying differences in constriction duration exhibited by short and long Italian consonants for labial, coronal and dorsal segments, and differences in constriction degree for labial and coronal consonants. No difference in constriction location is observed for geminates and singletons, while systematic differences in constriction location are observed between (i) coronal oral stops and coronal sonorants and (ii) dorsal stops flanked by vowels differing in backness.