Voice onset time (VOT) is known to vary with place of articulation.
Peterson & Barney – Control Methods Used in a Study of the Vowels
Examines the performance of both speakers and listeners. A classic paper!
Vaux & Samuels – Explaining vowel systems: dispersion theory vs natural selection
Cross-linguistic distribution of vowel systems
Wayland (Phonetics) – Chapter 8 – Acoustic Properties of Vowels and Consonants
An overview of the properties of vowels and consonants
