Acoustic study reveals mechanics behind Korean ‘aegyo’ speech

Researchers from Duksung Women’s University in South Korea and the University of Zurich have investigated the acoustic properties of ‘aegyo’, a Korean term for playful, childlike speech used to win affection.

Published in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, the study focused on Formant 1 (F1) values of vowel sounds. F1 is an acoustic feature determined by the length of the vocal tract; a shorter tract produces higher resonances and higher formant frequencies, similar to the voices of children.

By analyzing male and female speakers aged 25 to 31, researchers found that individuals performing aegyo increased their formant frequencies. This suggests that speakers intentionally alter their voices to simulate the sound of a shorter vocal tract to achieve a more endearing, childlike quality.