Acoustical characterization of the svarabhakti vowels in [Cɾ] and [ɾC] clusters in Brazilian Portuguese spoken in Pelotas (RS)

This study aims to provide an acoustic description of the sequences [Cɾ] and [ɾC] (in words such as "prato" and "carta") in Brazilian Portuguese, a context where svarabhakti vowels, short vocalic elements that replicate the quality of the syllable's nuclear vowel, are observed. To assess the role of different linguistic variables in the production and duration of this vocalic fragment, three experiments were conducted for word elicitation, varying in control levels. Dependent variables analyzed included presence of the svarabhakti vowel, absolute duration, relative duration, and vocalic quality. Independent variables encompassed experiment type, stress pattern, syllable position of the tap, point of articulation, voicing of the consonant adjacent to the tap, and nuclear vowel quality. The participants consisted of five monolingual women aged between 47 and 69 years, residing in Pelotas (Rio Grande do Sul). Interviews were conducted in a quiet setting using a Zoom H4N digital recorder. Results revealed that in the analyzed sample, svarabhakti vowels were present in 93.9% of productions, with an approximate duration of ¼ of a nuclear vowel. Their occurrence was higher in [Cɾ] syllables compared to [ɾC], and their duration was significantly longer in more controlled experiments, in pre-vocalic position, under stressed syllables, and preceding voiced consonants with dorsal articulation. Findings suggest that the svarabhakti vowel is formed by the same articulatory gesture as the syllable's nuclear vowel, thus not constituting an independent gesture.