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The perception of prominence patterns
1Institute of Phonetics and Digital Speech Processing, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany. kjk@ipds.uni-kiel.de
Phonetica
|February 18, 2009
Summary
This study clarifies linguistic stress and prominence, finding that fundamental frequency (F0) is the most powerful cue for syllable prominence perception in speech.
Area of Science:
- Phonetics and Phonology
- Psychoacoustics
- Linguistics
Background:
- The term 'stress' has multiple meanings in linguistics, including lexical stress, syllable salience, and word accentuation.
- Distinguishing between lexical stress and perceptual prominence is crucial for understanding speech.
- Previous research indicates acoustic parameters influence prominence perception, but their relative importance requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To rigorously define and differentiate between 'stress' and 'prominence' in speech.
- To investigate the perceptual salience of acoustic cues (F0, duration, energy) in determining syllable prominence.
- To develop a research program for prominence perception and its role in speech rhythm.
Main Methods:
- Systematic variation of acoustic parameters (F0, duration, energy) in the bisyllable 'baba'.
- An experiment involving 16 German subjects using a computerized reaction time device to judge syllable prominence.
- Analysis of subject responses based on manipulated acoustic features.
Main Results:
- Fundamental frequency (F0) was identified as a more powerful cue for prominence perception than syllabic duration or acoustic energy.
- Equal syllable duration without F0 variation led to a bias towards judging the first syllable as more prominent.
- A falling F0 contour on the second syllable counteracted this bias, leading to equal prominence judgments.
Conclusions:
- Lexical stress is a property of words, while prominence relates to perceptual salience in syllable strings.
- F0, particularly its contour, plays a significant role in the perception of syllable prominence.
- The findings provide a foundation for further research into speech rhythm and prominence perception.
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