Yes, lip plates affect speech.
Lip plates, commonly worn by women in certain cultures, demonstrably influence the phonetics of their speech. This influence extends to a reorganization of the language's phonological system. Here's a breakdown of how:
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Physical Obstruction: The lip plate physically alters the oral cavity. This obstruction impacts the articulation of sounds, particularly those that rely on lip movement (labial sounds) such as 'p', 'b', and 'm'.
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Compensatory Articulation: Speakers often adapt their articulation to compensate for the presence of the lip plate. This could involve using other parts of the mouth, such as the tongue or back of the throat, to produce sounds that were previously made with the lips.
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Altered Resonance: The lip plate can change the resonance of the vocal tract, affecting the overall quality of speech.
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Impact on Intelligibility: While speakers with lip plates adapt their speech, the altered articulation may, at least initially, impact the intelligibility of their speech for those unfamiliar with this adaptation.
In short, the presence of a lip plate requires speakers to modify their articulation, leading to changes in their speech patterns and potentially impacting the clarity and perception of certain sounds.
