scholarly journals Rate effects on aerodynamics of intervocalic stops: evidence from real speech data and model data

2008 ◽  
Vol 49 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Claire Brutel-Vuilmet ◽  
Susanne Fuchs
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Speech Rate ◽  
Model Data ◽  
Potential Control ◽  
Physical Mechanisms ◽  
Aerodynamic Properties ◽  
Rate Effects ◽  
Speech Data ◽  
Pressure Development ◽  
Intraoral Pressure

This paper is a first attempt towards a better understanding of the aerodynamic properties during speech production and their potential control. In recent years, studies on intraoral pressure in speech have been rather rare, and more studies concern the air flow development. However, the intraoral pressure is a crucial factor for analysing the production of various sounds. In this paper, we focus on the intraoral pressure development during the production of intervocalic stops. Two experimental methodologies are presented and confronted with each other: real speech data recorded for four German native speakers, and model data, obtained by a mechanical replica which allows reproducing the main physical mechanisms occurring during phonation. The two methods are presented and applied to a study on the influence of speech rate on aerodynamic properties.  

Speech Production Changes Under Fluency-Evoking Conditions in Nonstuttering Speakers

1993 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 245-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheila V. Stager ◽  
Christy L. Ludlow
Keyword(s):  
American English ◽  
Speech Rate ◽  
Pressure Rise ◽  
Vowel Duration ◽  
Pressure Development ◽  
Masking Noise ◽  
Rate Intensity ◽  
Instantaneous Pressure ◽  
Flow Pressure ◽  
Intraoral Pressure

Changes in airflow and intraoral pressure between baseline and four fluency-evoking Conditions—choral reading (CR), metronome pacing (MET), delayed auditory feedback (DAF), and masking noise (NOISE)—were studied in 12 American English nonstuttering speakers. The duration, amplitude, and velocity of airflow and intraoral pressure development during the initial plosive and the duration and intensity of the following vowel were measured in eight target CVC words. Speech rate was computed for each sentence. Comparisons between baseline and the corresponding production in each condition revealed significant changes in peak flow, pressure rise time, peak instantaneous pressure velocity, speech rate, intensity, and vowel duration. Vowel duration increased under DAF, MET, and NOISE conditions. Peak pressure and pressure velocity decreased during CR and MET and increased during NOISE, but did not change during DAF. Subjects were consistent in the variables they modified across conditions. Changes in the aerodynamic variables were not related to intensity or rate changes. Thus, nonstuttering speakers modify intraoral pressure and flow under fluency-evoking conditions.

Speech Rate Is No Simple matter

1990 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 303-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tracey M. Derwing
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Speech Rate ◽  
Native English Speakers ◽  
Pause Time ◽  
Short Film ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Articulation Rate ◽  
Simple Matter ◽  
Communicative Success

Speech rate (articulation rate and pauses) was examined for its relation to communicative success. Native English speakers (NSs) were paired with other NSs and with non-native speakers (NNSs). The subjects viewed a short film, the content of which they were to relay to their two partners independently. Communicative success was measured through comprehension questions addressed to the listeners at the completion of the task. Analyses indicated that although a slight majority of NSs slowed their speech rate for NNSs, they did not adjust articulation rate, but did significantly increase pause time. Neither speech rate nor articulation rate varied over the course of the narrations. Contrary to intuition, the subjects who successfully communicated the story to NNSs did not adjust their speech rate, while those who had difficulty communicating with NNSs increased pause time significantly. The implications of the findings are discussed, and suggestions for further research are made.

Speech Rate Reduction and "Nasality" in Normal Speakers

1989 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 837-848 ◽  
Author(s):  
Therese M. Brancewicz ◽  
Alan R. Reich
Keyword(s):  
Computer Program ◽  
Speech Rate ◽  
Speaking Rate ◽  
Normal Rate ◽  
Rate Reduction ◽  
Speech Stimuli ◽  
Significant Stimulus ◽  
Rate Effects ◽  
Stimulus Effects ◽  
Normal Adults

This study explored the effects of reduced speech rate on nasal/voice accelerometric measures and nasality ratings. Nasal/voice accelerometric measures were obtained from normal adults for various speech stimuli and speaking rates. Stimuli included three sentences (one obstruent-loaded, one semivowel-loaded, and one containing a single nasal), and /p/ syllable trains. Speakers read the stimuli at their normal rate, half their normal rate, and as slowly as possible. In addition, a computer program paced each speaker at rates of 1, 2, and 3 syllables per second. The nasal/voice accelerometric values revealed significant stimulus effects but no rate effects. The nasality ratings of experienced listeners, evaluated as a function of stimulus and speaking rate, were compared to the accelerometric measures. The nasality scale values demonstrated small, but statistically significant, stimulus and rate effects. However, the nasality percepts were poorly correlated with the nasal/voice accelerometric measures.

scholarly journals Eye-tracking the time course of distal and global speech rate effects.

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (10) ◽  
pp. 1148-1163
Author(s):  
Merel Maslowski ◽  
Antje S. Meyer ◽  
Hans Rutger Bosker
Keyword(s):  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Speech Rate ◽  
Rate Effects

An English pronunciation learning system for Japanese students based on diagnosis of critical pronunciation errors

ReCALL ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 173-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
YASUSHI TSUBOTA ◽  
MASATAKE DANTSUJI ◽  
TATSUYA KAWAHARA
Keyword(s):  
Error Rate ◽  
Error Detection ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Error Rates ◽  
Learning System ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Acoustic Model ◽  
Japanese Students ◽  
Speech Data ◽  
English Pronunciation

We have developed an English pronunciation learning system which estimates the intelligibility of Japanese learners' speech and ranks their errors from the viewpoint of improving their intelligibility to native speakers. Error diagnosis is particularly important in self-study since students tend to spend time on aspects of pronunciation that do not noticeably affect intelligibility. As a preliminary experiment, the speech of seven Japanese students was scored from 1 (hardly intelligible) to 5 (perfectly intelligible) by a linguistic expert. We also computed their error rates for each skill. We found that each intelligibility level is characterized by its distribution of error rates. Thus, we modeled each intelligibility level in accordance with its error rate. Error priority was calculated by comparing students' error rate distributions with that of the corresponding model for each intelligibility level. As non-native speech is acoustically broader than the speech of native speakers, we developed an acoustic model to perform automatic error detection using speech data obtained from Japanese students. As for supra-segmental error detection, we categorized errors frequently made by Japanese students and developed a separate acoustic model for that type of error detection. Pronunciation learning using this system involves two phases. In the first phase, students experience virtual conversation through video clips. They receive an error profile based on pronunciation errors detected during the conversation. Using the profile, students are able to grasp characteristic tendencies in their pronunciation errors which in effect lower their intelligibility. In the second phase, students practise correcting their individual errors using words and short phrases. They then receive information regarding the errors detected during this round of practice and instructions for correcting the errors. We have begun using this system in a CALL class at Kyoto University. We have evaluated system performance through the use of questionnaires and analysis of speech data logged in the server, and will present our findings in this paper.

Speech rate effects on european portuguese nasal vowels

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catarina Oliveira ◽  
Paula Martins ◽  
António Teixeira
Keyword(s):  
Speech Rate ◽  
Nasal Vowels ◽  
European Portuguese ◽  
Rate Effects

scholarly journals Age Estimation in Foreign-accented Speech by Native and Non-native Speakers

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 166-183
Author(s):  
Ksenia Gnevsheva ◽  
Daniel Bürkle
Keyword(s):  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Age Estimation ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Speech Rate ◽  
First Language ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Accented Speech ◽  
Japanese Speakers ◽  
Language Familiarity ◽  
Accented English

Current research shows that listeners are generally accurate at estimating speakers’ age from their speech. This study investigates the effect of speaker first language and the role played by such speaker characteristics as fundamental frequency and speech rate. In this study English and Japanese first language speakers listened to English- and Japanese-accented English speech and estimated the speaker’s age. We find the highest correlation between real and estimated speaker age for English listeners listening to English speakers, followed by Japanese listeners listening to both English and Japanese speakers, with English listeners listening to Japanese speakers coming last. We find that Japanese speakers are estimated to be younger than the English speakers by English listeners, and that both groups of listeners estimate male speakers and speakers with a lower mean fundamental frequency to be older. These results suggest that listeners rely on sociolinguistic information in their speaker age estimations and language familiarity plays a role in their success.

scholarly journals The Use of Vowel Length in Making Voicing Judgments by Native Listeners of English and Spanish: Implications for Rate Normalization

2019 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 436-452
Author(s):  
Navin Viswanathan ◽  
Annie J. Olmstead ◽  
M. Pilar Aivar
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Voice Onset Time ◽  
Speech Rate ◽  
Onset Time ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Vowel Length ◽  
Typical Range

Among other characteristics, voiced and voiceless consonants differ in voice onset time (VOT; Lisker & Abramson, 1964). In addition, in English, voiced consonants are typically followed by longer vowels than their unvoiced counterparts (Allen & Miller, 1999). In Spanish, this relationship is less systematic (Zimmerman & Sapon, 1958). In two experiments, we investigated perceptual sensitivities of English and Spanish native speakers to following vowel length (VL) in categorizing syllables that ranged from a prevoiced bilabial stop [ba] to a long-lag bilabial stop [pa]. According to our results, English speakers show sensitivity to following vowels with VLs falling within an English-typical range (Experiment 1), but not when vowels are shorter and in a Spanish-typical range (Experiment 2). Interestingly, Spanish native speakers do not show sensitivity to following VL in either condition. These results suggest that VOT-VL tradeoffs in perception reflect phonological sensitivities of listeners and are not reducible to speech rate compensation.

Native language influences on the production of second-language prosody

2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 269-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evia Kainada ◽  
Angelos Lengeris
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Native Language ◽  
Speech Rate ◽  
Transfer Effects ◽  
L1 Transfer ◽  
Prosodic Feature ◽  
Pitch Level ◽  
F0 Contour

This study examined native language (L1) transfer effects on the production of second-language (L2) prosody by intermediate Greek learners of English, specifically the set of tonal events and their alignment, speech rate, pitch span and pitch level in English polar questions. Greek uses an L* L+H- L% melody giving rise to a low–high–low f0 contour at the end of the polar question that does not resemble any of the contours used by native speakers in English polar questions. The results showed that the Greek speakers transferred the full set of Greek tonal events into English associating them with stressed syllables, and consistently placed the focus on the verb. The Greek speakers also anchored the peak of the phrase accent in polar questions around the midpoint of the stressed vowel across L1/L2 despite using longer vowel durations in L2. At the same time, their productions deviated from L1 forms in terms of speech rate (slower in L2), pitch span (narrower in L2) and pitch level (lower in L2), indicating that even when learners adopt an L1 prosodic feature in their L2, they still produce interlanguage forms that deviate from L1.

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