Stimulus variability and the phonetic relevance hypothesis: Effects of variability in speaking style, fundamental frequency, and speaking rate on spoken word identification

2006 ◽  
Vol 119 (4) ◽  
pp. 2406-2416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitchell S. Sommers ◽  
Joe Barcroft
Keyword(s):  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Word Identification ◽  
Spoken Word ◽  
Speaking Rate ◽  
Stimulus Variability ◽  
Speaking Style

An integrated account of the effects of acoustic variability in first language and second language: Evidence from amplitude, fundamental frequency, and speaking rate variability

2007 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
MITCHELL S. SOMMERS ◽  
JOE BARCROFT
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Speech Processing ◽  
Word Identification ◽  
Vocabulary Learning ◽  
First Language ◽  
Native English Speakers ◽  
Speaking Rate ◽  
Presentation Formats ◽  
L2 Vocabulary

This study examined how three different sources of stimulus variability—overall amplitude, fundamental frequency, and speaking rate—affect second language (L2) vocabulary learning. Native English speakers learned Spanish words in presentation formats with no variability, moderate variability, and high variability. Dependent measures were accuracy and latency of picture-to-Spanish and Spanish-to-English recall. The findings indicated that variability sources that do not affect first language (L1) word identification (amplitude, fundamental frequency) do not affect L2 vocabulary learning. Conversely, variability in speaking rate, which negatively affects L1 word identification, positively affected L2 vocabulary learning. These findings are consistent with an integrated account in which sources of variability that affect phonetically relevant properties of speech impede L1 speech processing but improve L2 vocabulary learning.

scholarly journals Effects of Stimulus Variability on Speech Perception in Listeners With Hearing Impairment

1997 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 1395-1405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Iler Kirk ◽  
David B. Pisoni ◽  
R. Christopher Miyamoto
Keyword(s):  
Speech Perception ◽  
Word Recognition ◽  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Word Identification ◽  
Recognition Performance ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Speaking Rate ◽  
Speech Understanding ◽  
Speech Discrimination ◽  
Stimulus Variability

Traditional word-recognition tests typically use phonetically balanced (PB) word lists produced by one talker at one speaking rate. Intelligibility measures based on these tests may not adequately evaluate the perceptual processes used to perceive speech under more natural listening conditions involving many sources of stimulus variability. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of stimulus variability and lexical difficulty on the speech-perception abilities of 17 adults with mild-to-moderate hearing loss. The effects of stimulus variability were studied by comparing word-identification performance in single-talker versus multipletalker conditions and at different speaking rates. Lexical difficulty was assessed by comparing recognition of "easy" words (i.e., words that occur frequently and have few phonemically similar neighbors) with "hard" words (i.e., words that occur infrequently and have many similar neighbors). Subjects also completed a 20-item questionnaire to rate their speech understanding abilities in daily listening situations. Both sources of stimulus variability produced significant effects on speech intelligibility. Identification scores were poorer in the multiple-talker condition than in the single-talker condition, and word-recognition performance decreased as speaking rate increased. Lexical effects on speech intelligibility were also observed. Word-recognition performance was significantly higher for lexically easy words than lexically hard words. Finally, word-recognition performance was correlated with scores on the self-report questionnaire rating speech understanding under natural listening conditions. The pattern of results suggest that perceptually robust speech-discrimination tests are able to assess several underlying aspects of speech perception in the laboratory and clinic that appear to generalize to conditions encountered in natural listening situations where the listener is faced with many different sources of stimulus variability. That is, wordrecognition performance measured under conditions where the talker varied from trial to trial was better correlated with self-reports of listening ability than was performance in a single-talker condition where variability was constrained.

A Study of Buccal Speech

1971 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 652-658 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernd Weinberg ◽  
Jan Westerhouse
Keyword(s):  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Speaking Rate ◽  
Intensive Study ◽  
Speech Characteristics ◽  
Voice Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Normal Speaking

An intensive study of a normal-speaking subject, proficient in the use of buccal speech, was conducted. With respect to voice fundamental frequency variability, phonation time, and speaking rate his buccal speech characteristics compared favorably with those reported for excellent esophageal speakers. However, the reduced intelligibility of his buccal speech on rhyme-test words, the high average fundamental frequency of his buccal voice, and his conspicuous buccal gestures during speech represent distinct vocal liabilities.

Effect of Speaking Style on Parameters of Fundamental Frequency Contour

1997 ◽  
pp. 417-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norio Higuchi ◽  
Toshio Hirai ◽  
Yoshinori Sagisaka
Keyword(s):  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Speaking Style

scholarly journals Influence of speaking rate and lexical status on word identification

1984 ◽  
Vol 76 (S1) ◽  
pp. S89-S89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne L Miller ◽  
Emily R. Dexter ◽  
Kimberly A. Pickard
Keyword(s):  
Word Identification ◽  
Speaking Rate ◽  
Lexical Status
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