Kaashäälduslike

Kaashäälduslike is an Estonian linguistic term used to describe coarticulation phenomena in speech production. The adjective refers to the properties or effects of coarticulated pronunciation, where the articulation of a sound is shaped by surrounding sounds rather than produced in isolation. In practice, kaashäälduslike characterizes how phonemes are realized differently in different phonetic contexts, leading to systematic contextual variation in both articulation and the resulting acoustic signal.

In phonetics and phonology, kaashäälduslike phenomena cover anticipatory and carryover effects, such as changes in vowel quality or duration caused by neighboring consonants, or changes in consonant articulation under the influence of the surrounding vowels. These effects contribute to the perceived naturalness and speed of speech, and they play a role in phonotactics and speech perception.

Researchers study kaashäälduslike using acoustic analysis, spectrograms, and articulatory imaging methods (for example ultrasound or electromagnetic tracking) to link articulatory gestures with formant transitions and spectral changes. The concept helps describe why identical phonemes can have different acoustic realizations in different positions within a word or syllable.

Etymology: the term is built from kaas- 'together' and hääldus 'pronunciation' with the adjectival suffix -lik, indicating likeness to coarticulation.

Related terms include coarticulation, assimilation, and acoustic phonetics. See also Estonian phonology and phonetics resources.