Gender differences in the spectral characteristics of voiceless sibilants produced by Australian English-speaking children

Abstract

This paper examines the spectral characteristics of the voiceless sibilant fricatives /s/ and /ʃ/ produced by Australian English-speaking children (5-13 years) from a town in rural Victoria. It finds that despite the lack of sex dimorphism in the vocal tract, gender differences are evident in sibilant production. Girls produce sibilants with higher spectral mean and lower spectral skewness than boys, even for the youngest speakers examined. Spectral changes over time suggest potential influence from social factors such as region and socioeconomic status. Results provide a basis for the development of sociophonetic variation of sibilants and Australian English more broadly.