Which theory explains speech production as the result of the filter characteristic of the vocal tract modifying sound energy?

The source-filter theory is crucial in understanding speech production because it delineates the process into two key components: the source of sound and the filter that shapes that sound. In this theory, the source refers to the vibration of the vocal cords, which generates sound energy. The filter, composed of the vocal tract (including the throat, mouth, and nasal cavities), modifies this sound energy by altering its frequency characteristics.

This modification occurs because the vocal tract acts like a resonating chamber, selectively amplifying certain frequencies of the sound waves produced by the vocal cords while attenuating others. The resulting output is the recognizable speech sounds, as the shape and positioning of the vocal tract change, altering the resonances and creating different phonetic effects.

This model effectively illustrates how articulation, resonance, and sound energy interact, making it foundational for understanding how speech is produced. Therefore, it is correct to ascribe the process of speech production to the source-filter characteristic of the vocal tract, as described in the source-filter theory.