Leigh Lisker and Arthur S. Abramson (1964) conducted a cross-language study of voicing in initial stops, focusing on acoustical measurements. The study aimed to determine how well voice onset time serves as a basis for distinguishing between stop categories in various languages. They analyzed the timing relationship between voice onset and the release of occlusion, finding that this measure is both easy to measure and promising for physical discrimination of stop categories. The study examined eleven languages, including English, Dutch, Spanish, Hungarian, Tamil, Cantonese, Hindi, Marathi, Korean, and Thai. The results showed that voice onset time varies significantly across languages and that it can be used to distinguish between voiced and voiceless stops, as well as aspirated and unaspirated stops. The study also found that the measure of voice onset time is sensitive to the place of stop closure, with velars showing consistently higher values than other stops. The findings suggest that voice onset time is a useful acoustic cue for distinguishing stop categories in different languages. The study also discussed the relationship between voice onset time and other phonetic dimensions such as voicing and aspiration, and concluded that voice onset time is a reliable measure for separating stop categories. The study also highlighted the importance of considering the context in which stops occur, as well as the influence of vocalic environments on voice onset time. Overall, the study provides valuable insights into the acoustic properties of stop consonants across different languages.Leigh Lisker and Arthur S. Abramson (1964) conducted a cross-language study of voicing in initial stops, focusing on acoustical measurements. The study aimed to determine how well voice onset time serves as a basis for distinguishing between stop categories in various languages. They analyzed the timing relationship between voice onset and the release of occlusion, finding that this measure is both easy to measure and promising for physical discrimination of stop categories. The study examined eleven languages, including English, Dutch, Spanish, Hungarian, Tamil, Cantonese, Hindi, Marathi, Korean, and Thai. The results showed that voice onset time varies significantly across languages and that it can be used to distinguish between voiced and voiceless stops, as well as aspirated and unaspirated stops. The study also found that the measure of voice onset time is sensitive to the place of stop closure, with velars showing consistently higher values than other stops. The findings suggest that voice onset time is a useful acoustic cue for distinguishing stop categories in different languages. The study also discussed the relationship between voice onset time and other phonetic dimensions such as voicing and aspiration, and concluded that voice onset time is a reliable measure for separating stop categories. The study also highlighted the importance of considering the context in which stops occur, as well as the influence of vocalic environments on voice onset time. Overall, the study provides valuable insights into the acoustic properties of stop consonants across different languages.