VOT
Pronunciation: V-O-T
Also written as: VOT — Voice Onset Time
The temporal relationship between the release of oral closure and the onset of vocal cord vibration in stop consonant production.
Full Definition
Voice Onset Time (VOT) is a crucial acoustic parameter that distinguishes voiced from voiceless stop consonants in many languages. Measured in milliseconds, VOT represents the time interval between the release burst of a stop consonant and the beginning of periodic vocal cord vibration. Normal VOT values vary by consonant and language, and abnormal VOT patterns can indicate specific speech motor control deficits or phonological difficulties.
Usage
Usage note: Commonly abbreviated as VOT in clinical and research contexts. Requires acoustic analysis software for measurement.
In Context
- "Acoustic analysis revealed abnormal VOT values for voiceless stops in the patient's speech." — Instrumental speech analysis report
- "VOT measurements helped differentiate between phonological and motor speech disorder presentations." — Differential diagnosis documentation