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Journals / Niğde Ömer Halisdemir Üniversitesi Mühendislik Bilimleri Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 15

Acoustic analysis of the NATO phonetic alphabet spoken by native Turkish speakers: A comparison of handheld and throat microphones

Anadili Türkçe olan konuşmacılar tarafından söylenen NATO fonetik alfabesinin akustik analizi: El ve gırtlak mikrofonlarının karşılaştırması

Julio Cesar Velazquez Garcia(ONDOKUZ MAYIS ÜNİVERSİTESİ, LİSANSÜSTÜ EĞİTİM ENSTİTÜSÜ)0009-0007-2270-8068
Selim Aras(ONDOKUZ MAYIS ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0003-1231-5782
Pages
1–8
Publication Date
2026-01-15
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

This study lays the groundwork for multichannel ASR systems designed for real-world acoustic variability.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:This pilot study presents a comparative acoustic analysis of speech signals recorded with handheld and throat microphones during the pronunciation of the NATO phonetic alphabet by native Turkish speakers.
📊
Key Findings & Data:A total of 2,080 voice samples were collected and preprocessed using voice activity detection (VAD), noise reduction, and silence trimming.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:This study lays the groundwork for multichannel ASR systems designed for real-world acoustic variability.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:NATO fonetik alfabesi · Gırtlakmikrofonu · El tipi mikrofon

Abstract

This pilot study presents a comparative acoustic analysis of speech signals recorded with handheld and throat microphones during the pronunciation of the NATO phonetic alphabet by native Turkish speakers. A total of 2,080 voice samples were collected and preprocessed using voice activity detection (VAD), noise reduction, and silence trimming. Acoustic metrics; duration, root mean square (RMS) energy, zero-crossing rate (ZCR), and zero-crossing density, were extracted. Non-parametric tests revealed significant differences between microphone types: the handheld device yielded higher energy and stability, while the throat microphone showed lower energy but higher spectral complexity. Results also indicated phonatory delay and articulation asymmetries in some speakers. The findings suggest that microphone type affects phonetic structure and signal quality, with implications for automatic speech recognition (ASR) systems in noisy environments. Notably, the throat microphone increased zero-crossing density due to internal vibration sensitivity. This study lays the groundwork for multichannel ASR systems designed for real-world acoustic variability.

Özet

Bu pilot çalışma, anadili Türkçe olan konuşmacıların NATO fonetik alfabesini telaffuz ederken el tipi ve boğaz mikrofonlarıyla kaydedilen konuşma sinyallerinin karşılaştırmalı akustik analizini sunmaktadır. Toplam 2.080 ses örneği toplanmış ve ses etkinliği tespiti (VAD), gürültü azaltma ve sessizlik kırpma adımlarını içeren bir ön işleme sürecinden geçirilmiştir. Süre, ortalama karekök (RMS) enerjisi, sıfır geçiş oranı (ZCR) ve saniye başına sıfır geçiş yoğunluğu gibi akustik ölçümler çıkarılmıştır. Non-parametrik testler, mikrofon türleri arasında anlamlı farklar olduğunu ortaya koymuştur: El tipi mikrofon daha yüksek enerji ve zamansal kararlılık sağlarken, boğaz mikrofonu daha düşük enerji ancak daha yüksek spektral karmaşıklık göstermiştir. Bazı konuşmacılarda ses üretiminde gecikme ve artikülasyon asimetrileri gözlemlenmiştir. Bulgular, mikrofon türünün fonetik yapı ve sinyal kalitesini etkilediğini ve gürültülü ortamlarda otomatik konuşma tanıma (ASR) sistemleri için önemli çıkarımlar sunduğunu göstermektedir. Bu çalışma, gerçek dünya koşullarına uygun çok kanallı ASR sistemleri için temel oluşturmaktadır.

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Cite This Article

Garcia, J. C. V., Aras, S. (2026). Acoustic analysis of the NATO phonetic alphabet spoken by native Turkish speakers: A comparison of handheld and throat microphones. Niğde Ömer Halisdemir Üniversitesi Mühendislik Bilimleri Dergisi, Cilt: 15, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.28948/ngumuh.1705336

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