These exercises will allow you to evaluate the vocal qualities and resonance of the speaker. There are both subjective and objective values to consider when determining what is normal or deviant in vocal quality. The physical structure, culture, and projections of emotion, attitude and mood can all subtly and overtly change the vocal quality.
As the client says the paragraph, keep track of the nasal emissions—the computer does not score these productions. Enter the number of nasal emissions for consonants and vowels in the boxes on the sidebar. The results page will give a percentage of scored productions for the nasal emission on the consonants and on the vowels.
The passages we have selected do not have nasal consonants in Standard American English—though they may in regional dialects. The following is our count of consonants and vowels for each passage. Note: ch, th, wh, etc. are counted as one sound and vowel + R is counted as a vowel sound. You may change the counts for each paragraph on the sidebar.
The Zoo Passage—Vowels
V(6) Look at this book with us.
V(8) It's a story about a zoo.
V(5) That is where bears go.
V(8) Today it's very cold out of doors,
V(8) but we see a cloud overhead
V(8) that's a pretty, white, fluffy shape.
V(6) We hear that straw covers
V(4) the floor of cages
V(6) to keep the chill away;
V(4) yet a deer walks
V(3) through the trees
V(4) with her head high.
V(5) They feed seeds to birds
V(6) so they are able to fly.
The Zoo Passage—Consonants
C(10) Look at this book with us.
C(07) It's a story about a zoo.
C(07) That is where bears go.
C(12) Today it's very cold out of doors,
C(10) but we see a cloud overhead
C(13) that's a pretty, white, fluffy shape.
C(10) We hear that straw covers
C(07) the floor of cages
C(07) to keep the chill away;
C(07) yet a deer walks
C(06) through the trees
C(06) with her head high.
C(10) They feed seeds to birds
C(07) so they are able to fly.
Click Next when you are ready to continue. The speech sample will be saved in a file by date and title: Vocal Quality and Resonance: Paragraph.