Which axis represents time on a spectrogram?

The X axis on a spectrogram represents time, illustrating how sound changes over the duration of a signal. In a spectrogram, time is critical for analyzing speech, allowing researchers and clinicians to observe how phonetic and prosodic features unfold. As you move from left to right along the X axis, you can see the temporal progression of the sound event being analyzed.

In contrast, the Y axis represents frequency, displaying the various frequency components of the sound. The Z axis typically indicates amplitude or intensity, often represented by varying shades of color or intensity in the spectrogram. Understanding these axes is vital for interpreting how speech sounds are structured over time and frequency.