Seeing how our sounds are really made

Ultrasound goes beyond its more commonly known uses in pregnancy scans and medical imaging. It’s also a powerful tool when it comes to identifying subtle social differences in how we articulate our consonants and vowels.

In Scottish speech, consonants like R and L can be made in several different ways. These differences can be hard to hear, but on the ultrasound screen they are visible because we can see the changing shape and location of the tongue as we speak.

In this interactive workshop, you will have the chance to see how your tongue moves during speech production. Using ultrasound – a safe and non-invasive technique – you'll be shown the hidden shapes and movements that create the sounds of everyday speech. You’ll also get the chance to try out the equipment yourself.

Researchers and engineers in Scotland have played a leading role in developing real-time ultrasound methods for studying speech. These tools allow us to capture tongue movement as it happens and, with the help of AI, analyse the patterns that shape our vowels and consonants.

Join in-person at the RSE to see these differences and how linguists and speech therapists are using ultrasound to better understand the intricacies of our accents.

About RSE Investigates

This event is part of RSE Investigates - a yearly programme of free public events that look closely at a new topic each year. Through research-led insights and personal perspectives, the series explores the nuances and real-world implications of issues that shape our understanding of society.

This year, the focus is on language – how it connects us, how it shapes our identities and the environments, and how language can be a vital lens for examining some of today’s most pressing issues.

Speaker:

Prof. Jim Scobbie FRSE

Director of the Clinical Audiology, Speech and Language Research Centre, Queen Margaret University

Professor James M Scobbie (Jim) is an experimental speech scientist (phonetician) with an applied focus in health and wellbeing as director of the Clinical Audiology Speech and Language Research Centre at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. He has exploited instrumental technology (especially ultrasound, with Prof Alan Wrench of Articulate Instruments Ltd) to advance theory in phonetics and phonology by analysing detailed variation. He has explored the articulation of Scottish accents with Stuart-Smith (Glasgow), Turk (Edinburgh) and Lawson (Strathclyde), leading to “SeeingSpeech.ac.uk”, as well as studying vowels and consonants in a range of languages. He is married to Kirsty, with two sons, and “noisybrain.blog” presents personal and social genealogy.

Important points to note

• This event is suitable for age 16+
• Accessibility Statement: We aim to make events as accessible as possible. If you have any accessibility requirements or any questions about how we can support this event, please contact the RSE Public Engagement team on public_engagement@theRSE.org.uk

• COVID-19: In order to prevent the spread of Covid-19 we kindly encourage participants to continue to wear face masks if they feel comfortable to do so; use the hand sanitisers provided at the venue; and to stay at home if they have Covid symptoms or have tested positive for Covid-19.