Tianheng Wang

WangTianheng Wang (she/her)
王天恒 [wɑŋ˧˥ tʰjɛn˥ xɤŋ˧˥]

PhD Student in Linguistics, Nankai University
Tianjin, China

Research interest: phonetics, experimental linguistics, speech recognition and synthesis, Chinese historical phonology

Member of: EL&CL nk2028

Links: ORCID Google Scholar GitHub

Contact: tw1701@nyu.edu

Journal Papers

  • Alkhattabi, Muhannad, Wei Huang, Felana Anita Ralaiarimanana, Tianheng Wang & Qibin Ran. 2025. Mandarin acoustic parameters in the voice of Arabic speakers: A comparative study of native speakers and learners of different levels. Chinese Journal of Phonetics 22.
    穆汉, 黄玮, 夏美汐, 王天恒 & 冉启斌. 2025. 阿拉伯语母语背景汉语学习者的嗓音声学表现——跨水平学习者与汉语母语者的对比分析. 中国语音学报 22.
  • Wang, Tianheng. 2025. Tones of Beijing dialect since 1900 and their evolution: Evidence from early recordings. Language and Linguistics 26(4). 752–788. doi: 10.1075/lali.00243.wan
    1900年以来北京话声调及其演变：来自早期录音的证据
  • 王天恒. 2025. 跨语言国际音标识别的进展. 南开语言学刊 2025(2). 30.
    Wang, Tianheng. 2025. Progress in cross-lingual IPA recognition. Nankai Linguistics 2025(2). 30.
  • 黄玮, 冉启斌 & 王天恒. 2025. 中心区域与辐射扩散——中古音与现代方言的语言距离和地理距离视角. 语言研究 45(2). 41–50.
    Huang, Wei, Qi-bin Ran & Tian-heng Wang. 2025. Central region and radial diffusion: Perspective of language distance and geographical distance between Middle Chinese reconstructions and Modern Chinese dialects. Studies in Language and Linguistics 45(2). 41–50.
  • Wang, Shuai, Yuzhu Liang, Tianheng Wang, Wei Huang, Ke Xu, Aleksandr Mitkov, Shuting Yuan, Jun Ding, Lining Wang, Yongdao Zhou, Quansheng Xia & Qibin Ran. 2024. Unraveling the influence of essential climatic factors on the number of tones through an extensive database of languages in China. Journal of Language Evolution 9(1–2). 29–48. doi: 10.1093/jole/lzae009
    中国语言大型数据揭示关键气候因素对声调数量的影响
  • Alkhattabi, Muhannad, Wei Huang, Ke Xu, Tianheng Wang & Qibin Ran. 2024. The voice acoustic analysis of cross-regional accented English speakers: Based on recordings from IDEA and SAA. Nankai Linguistics 2024(1). 10–21.
    穆汉, 黄玮, 许可, 王天恒 & 冉启斌. 2024. 跨地区口音英语发音人的嗓音声学分析——以IDEA和SAA的录音为例. 南开语言学刊 2024(1). 10–21.
  • Wang, Tianheng, Søren Wichmann, Quansheng Xia & Qibin Ran. 2023. Temperature shapes language sonority: Revalidation from a large dataset. PNAS Nexus 2(12). pgad384. doi: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad384
    大型数据库证实温度对语言响度的塑造
  • Liang, Yuzhu, Lining Wang, Søren Wichmann, Quansheng Xia, Shuai Wang, Jun Ding, Tianheng Wang & Qibin Ran. 2023. Languages in China link climate, voice quality, and tone in a causal chain. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications 10. 453. doi: 10.1057/s41599-023-01969-4
    中国大规模语言数据支持空气湿度影响语言的声调数量

Conference Poster

  • 王天恒. 2021. 一种直观的调值格局可视化方法. 第十四届中国语音学学术会议 [PCC 2021], 兰州: 西北民族大学, 2021.7.18–7.20. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.10152833
    Wang, Tianheng. 2021. A novel approach to visualization of tone value pattern. The 14th Phonetic Conference of China [PCC 2021], Lanzhou: Northwest Minzu University, 18–20 July 2021. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.10152833

Selected Presentations

  • Wang, Tianheng. 2025. Reconstructing pharyngealized vowels for Qieyun Division II. The 31st Annual Conference of the International Association of Chinese Linguistics [IACL-31], Venice: Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, 2–4 July 2025. (Finalist of the Young Scholar Award)
    王天恒. 2025. 论切韵二等为咽化元音. 国际中国语言学学会第31届年会 [IACL-31], 威尼斯: 威尼斯大学, 2025.7.2–7.4. (青年学者奖入围奖)
  • 王天恒. 2024. 切韵音系的舌根偏后与咽化. 中国语言文学全球博士生论坛, 北京: 北京大学, 2024.12.26–12.28. (优秀论文奖)
    Wang, Tianheng. 2024. Retracted tongue root and pharyngealization in the Qieyun system. Global Graduate Forum on Chinese Language and Literature, Beijing: Peking University, 26–28 Dec 2024. (Outstanding Paper Award)
  • 王天恒. 2024. 三家子满语的语音特点. 天津市语言学会2024年学术年会, 天津: 天津职业技术师范大学, 2024.11.16.
    Wang, Tianheng. 2024. Phonetic aspects of Sanjiazi Manchu. The 2024 Annual Conference of the Linguistic Society of Tianjin, Tianjin: Tianjin University of Technology and Education, 16 Nov 2024.
  • 王天恒. 2024. 切韵音系介音新构拟两题. 语言学沙龙 2024(4), 天津: 南开大学, 2024.5.16.Wang, Tianheng. 2024. Two new reconstructions of medials in the Qièyùn system. Linguistics Seminar 202(4), Tianjin: Nankai University, 16 May 2024.
    1. 试论切韵“无重纽三等韵”尚无介音 (Disproving the existence of Qièyùn’s non-chóngniǔ division-III medial). Abstract: 前人将切韵音系帮、见、影组声母拆分为三等、非三等两类，并认为见组非三等为小舌辅音。本文肯定上述观点，提出切韵音系帮、见、影组非三等同属 [+RTR]（retracted tongue root，舌根偏后）这一自然类，其对应的三等声母则为 [−RTR] 的普通辅音。据反切和对音，切韵音系的无重纽三等韵（三等C类）应当没有介音，与对应的非三等韵靠声母的 [±RTR] 对立，仍和上古汉语格局相似；三等介音的音位化可能始于唐五代。新方案比以往更简洁，并且更能揭示早期中古汉语使用者的感知。
    2. 试论切韵二等为咽化元音 (On the reconstruction of pharyngealized vowels for Qièyùn division II). Abstract: 切韵二等韵来自上古汉语 *r介音现已成为共识，但其中古构拟仍有争议。本文重审二等韵在押韵、反切、对音、古今演变中表现出的特性，提出将其构拟为东北高加索语式的咽化元音。这种咽化元音具有偏低偏前色彩，需舌体呈双拱形姿态，形成硬腭–咽腔双重收紧，且与美国英语r的常见调音姿态相似。咽化更能有效解释中古二等的特性及来龙去脉，优于软腭介音和r介音的构拟。韵图的“四等 × 内外转”进而可以认为代表着一种垂直元音系统（vertical vowel system）。
  • 王天恒. 2023. 再论中古汉语的四声：性质和演变. 第四届历史语言学青年学者论坛, 北京: 北京大学, 2023.4.22–4.23. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.10454374
    Wang, Tianheng. 2023. Revisiting Middle Chinese tones: Characteristics and evolution. The 4th Young Scholars’ Forum on Historical Linguistics, Beijing: Peking University, 22–23 Apr 2023. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.10454374

Tools

  • 王天恒. 2022. 韵段离合指数统计工具. https://nk2028.shn.hk/rhyme-stat/. GitHub
    Wang, Tianheng. 2022. A tool for rhyming material mixing index statistics. https://nk2028.shn.hk/rhyme-stat/.
  • 王天恒. 2021. 汉文HTML. https://phesoca.com/kanbun-html/. GitHub
    Wang, Tianheng. 2021. kanbunHTML. https://phesoca.com/kanbun-html/.
  • 王天恒. 2021. 切韵新韵图. https://phesoca.com/rime-table/. GitHub
    Wang, Tianheng. 2021. New Qieyun rime table. https://phesoca.com/rime-table/.
  • nk2028. 2020. 切韵音系自动推导器. https://nk2028.shn.hk/tshet-uinh-autoderiver/. GitHub
    nk2028. 2020. Tshet-uinh autoderiver. https://nk2028.shn.hk/tshet-uinh-autoderiver/).
  • 王天恒 (译). 2020. VoQS：音质符号（2016中英双语版）. Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.10206204
    Wang, Tianheng (trans.). 2020. VoQS: Voice Quality Symbols (2016 in Chinese). Zenodo. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.10206204

Education

2022–PhD student in Linguistics, Nankai University
南开大学, 语言学及应用语言学在读博士生

2017–2019MS in Computer Science, New York University
纽约大学, 计算机科学硕士

2013–2017BS in Fundamental Sciences (Chemistry and Biology), Tsinghua University
清华大学, 基础科学（化学生物学方向）学士

Honors

3 July 2025Finalist of the Young Scholar Award, International Association of Chinese Linguistics, Venice
国际中国语言学学会青年学者奖入围奖, 威尼斯

3 May 2025 知乎2024年度新知答主, 北京
2024 Future Minds Contributor, Zhihu, Beijing

27 Dec 2024 中国语言文学全球博士生论坛优秀论文奖, 北京
Outstanding Paper Award, Global Graduate Forum on Chinese Language and Literature, Beijing

1 Sept 2022 知乎音韵学优秀答主, 北京 (线上)
Outstanding Contributor in Chinese Historical Phonology, Zhihu, Beijing (online)

7 Jan 2019 知乎语言学优秀答主, 北京 (线上)
Outstanding Contributor in Linguistics, Zhihu, Beijing (online)

4 Dec 2012 第26届中国化学奥林匹克决赛金牌, 天津
Gold Medal, The 26th Chinese Chemistry Olympiad, Tianjin

Selected Middle Chinese Performances

  • 2022. 晚期中古汉语三十六字母歌 (36 Initials Song of the Late Middle Chinese). bilibili YouTube
  • 2022. 神女劈观 (The Divine Damsel of Devastation). (Sung in Early Tang Chinese) bilibili YouTube
  • 2019. 苏幕遮·燎沈香 (Sumuzhe (Liao Chenxiang)). (Sung in Northern Song Mandarin) bilibili YouTube
  • 2019. 八扇屏·莽撞人 (Bashanping: Mangzhuang Ren). 2019 Summer Workshop on Chinese Historical Phonology (2019年中国音韵学暑期讲习班), Tianjin: Nankai University, 1–6 Jul 2019. (Recited in Early Middle Chinese)