University of Central Florida (UCF) SPA3011 Speech Science Practice Exam 1

Self-repeating sound waves are indicative of voiced sounds, which occur when the vocal cords vibrate during phonation. This vibration generates waveforms that are harmonic and consistent, creating a repeatable sound. The nature of the sound waves produced by voiced phonemes includes a fundamental frequency and its overtones, making them cyclical and allowing for the creation of rich, harmonic tones.

In contrast, while nasals and fricatives can certainly involve complex sound wave patterns, they do not showcase the same level of harmonic structure or self-repetitiveness as voiced sounds. Nasals involve airflow through the nasal cavity but do not inherently produce the periodic waveforms that characterize voiced speech. Fricatives, on the other hand, are characterized by turbulent airflow and may not have a consistent harmonic structure. Pure tones consist of a single frequency and are not typically produced during normal speech; instead, they are more often found in controlled sound environments or generated by instruments. Therefore, the association of self-repeating sound waves is most accurately attributed to voiced sounds.