Multi-level speech timing control
This thesis describes a model of speech timing, predicting at the syllable level, with sensitivity to rhythmic factors at the foot level, that predicts segmental durations by a process of accommodation into the higher-level timing framework. The model is based on analyses of two large databases of British English speech; one illustrating the range of prosodic variation in the language, the other illustrating segmental duration characteristics in various phonetic environments. Designed for a speech synthesis application, the model also has relevance to linguistic and phonetic theory, and shows that phonological specification of prosodic variation is independent of the phonetic realisation of segmental duration. It also shows, using normalisation of phone-specific timing characteristics, that lengthening of segments within the syllable is of three kinds: prominence-related, applying more to onset segments; boundary-related, applying more to coda segments; and rhythm/rate-related, being more uniform across all component segments. In this model, durations are first predicted at the level of the syllable from consideration of the number of component segments, the nature of the rhyme, and the three types of lengthening.
Campbell, Wilhelm
Speech synthesis models
Multi-level speech timing control. This thesis describes a model of speech timing, predicting at the syllable level, with sensitivity to rhythmic factors at the foot level, that predicts segmental durations by a process of accommodation into the higher-level timing framework. The model is based on analyses of two large databases of British English speech; one illustrating the range of prosodic variation in the language, the other illustrating segmental duration characteristics in various phonetic environments. Designed for a speech synthesis application, the model also has relevance to linguistic and phonetic theory, and shows that phonological specification of prosodic variation is independent of the phonetic realisation of segmental duration. It also shows, using normalisation of phone-specific timing characteristics, that lengthening of segments within the syllable is of three kinds: prominence-related, applying more to onset segments; boundary-related, applying more to coda segments; and rhythm/rate-related, being more uniform across all component segments. In this model, durations are first predicted at the level of the syllable from consideration of the number of component segments, the nature of the rhyme, and the three types of lengthening.
multi_level speech time control describes model speech timing predict syllable level sensitivity rhythmic factor foot level predict segmental duration process accommodation higher level timing framework model_base analysis large_database british english_speech range prosodic variation language illustrate segmental duration characteristic various phonetic environment designed speech_synthesis application model also relevance linguistic phonetic theory show phonological specification prosodic variation independent phonetic_realisation segmental duration also_show use normalisation phone specific timing characteristic segment within syllable kind prominence related apply onset segment boundary related apply coda segment rhythm rate related uniform across component segment model duration first predict level syllable consideration number component segment nature rhyme three_type