A Phonetic Comparison of Interrogative Sentences “Where Do You Live?” In Karo and Mandailing Languages Using Suprasegmental Analysis: An Acoustic Analysis Using Praat for Language Education

Indonesia’s linguistic diversity is reflected in variations in intonation, pronunciation, and phonetic characteristics across different ethnic groups. Because phonetics and phonology play a critical role in language education, pronunciation training, and linguistic preservation, understanding these variations is essential. This study examines interrogative sentences in Karo and Mandailing languages by analyzing frequency, duration, and intensity using Praat software. Data were collected from native speakers of both languages through voice recordings, which were then analyzed to measure pitch variation, speech length, and sound intensity. The results showed that Karo speakers exhibit longer utterance duration, while Mandailing speakers display higher initial and final frequency shifts. Additionally, the intensity variation is more pronounced in Karo's speech. These findings are significant because they contribute to linguistic research, second language acquisition, and multilingual education, supporting efforts to enhance pronunciation accuracy and phonetic awareness in language learning.