PURPOSE: to analyze, from the auditory perception point of view, the voice quality of a group of adult speakers from the city of João Pessoa and correlate it to the acoustic measures of the formant frequencies (F1, F2 and F3). METHODS: the studied group was comprised by 20 speakers, 10 men and 10 women, in the age group between 21 and 27 years, all born and raised in the city of João Pessoa. Speech samples were collected (three repetitions of a sentence-vehicle, two texts and passages of spontaneous speech), in the sampling frequency: 11025 Hz. The recordings were analyzed from the auditory perception (voice quality settings) with the use of the VPAS (Voice Profile Analysis Scheme) and acoustic point of view (measures of F1, F2 and F3 frequencies of the vowel [a] inserted in the samples). Data were submitted to statistical analysis (analysis of main components and composition of clusters for VPAS and T test of Student for measures of F1, F2 and F3 frequencies). RESULTS: the predominant voice quality settings in the male speakers were low larynx, retracted tongue body and creaky voice. In the female speakers, the settings of open jaw prevailed, retracted tongue body, lowered tongue body and whispery voice. F1, F2 and F3 frequencies measures showed statistically significant differences in both genders in relation to speakers of other areas of the country, with respective values for the masculine speakers in p = 0.001; p = 0; p = 0.003 and for the female speakers in p = 0.002; p = 0.001; p = 0. CONCLUSION: particularities were found in the voice quality and in the formant structure of the speakers' vowels from João Pessoa and correlations identified among settings of the voice quality in the auditory perception plan and short-term aspects in the acoustic plan.
Voice; Evaluation; Speech Perception; Speech Acoustics; Auditory Perception
