Why Korean 'aegyo' speech sounds cute: Adults raise vocal resonances to sound younger and smaller
In Korean, the term "aegyo" denotes a playful cuteness put on by adults to win someone's affection, typically in romantic contexts. This is usually accomplished with bashful expressions or a childlike manner of speaking sometimes known as "baby talk" in Western cultures.
In the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, researchers have explored the acoustic basis of Korean "aegyo" speech, a form of playful cuteness often employed by adults to appear younger and more endearing. The study involved male and female speakers aged 25 to 31 reading sentences with and without aegyo, and they found that speakers raised their formant frequencies (F1) when using aegyo.
This change in vocal resonance is thought to produce the impression of a shorter vocal tract, making the voice seem smaller and younger. The researchers cite similarities to the animal kingdom, where some species lower their larynx to make their vocal tracts appear longer, conveying a larger body size. However, in the case of aegyo speech, humans reverse this strategy by making their voices sound smaller and younger.
The findings may have implications for understanding the sociological reasons behind the use of aegyo speech, such as eliciting protective responses and strengthening social bonds. Additionally, the researchers speculate that raising formant frequencies could also serve to make speakers more memorable, potentially helping establish a person's identity in the minds of others, a crucial aspect at the beginning of close social relationships.
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