Session Production X:Production X: Frequency and Recency
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| Production X-1 |
THE EFFECT OF LEXICAL FREQUENCY ON TONE PRODUCTION
Yuan Zhao, Stanford University Dan Jurafsky, Stanford University Paper File |
| Previous research has identified robust effects on segmental production of lexical factors like word frequency, predictability or neighborhood density. One question that remains unanswered is whether such lexical effects hold also at the suprasegmental level. This study investigates whether lexical factors such as usage frequency affect tone production in Cantonese. We recorded Cantonese monosyllabic words of high and low usage frequency, controlling for segmental factors. The results show that lexical factors do influence suprasegmental production. Words of the same tone but of different usage frequency differ significantly in pitch height. Low-frequency words are hyperarticulated and produced with relatively higher pitch. The overall tone space of low-frequency words is more expanded than that of their high-frequency counterparts. | |
| Production X-2 |
AN EXEMPLAR-THEORETIC ACCOUNT OF SYLLABLE FREQUENCY EFFECTS
Michael Walsh, Institute for Natural Language Processing, University of Stuttgart Hinrich Schütze, Institute for Natural Language Processing, University of Stuttgart Bernd Möbius, Institute for Natural Language Processing, University of Stuttgart Antje Schweitzer, Institute for Natural Language Processing, University of Stuttgart Paper File |
| This paper presents an exemplar-theoretic computational model of syllable frequency effects which yields simulation results in keeping with experimental results found in the literature. The argument posited here is that syllable duration variability is a function of segment duration variability for infrequent syllables. However syllable duration variability for frequent syllables cannot be predicted from segment duration variability. The simulation results support the hypothesis that frequent syllables are accessed as units whereas infrequent syllables are more likely to be produced on-line from exemplars of their constituent segments. | |
| Production X-3 |
Phonetic differences between mis- and dis- in English prefixed and pseudo-prefixed words
Rachel Baker, University of Cambridge Rachel Smith, University of Glasgow Sarah Hawkins, University of Cambridge Paper File |
| It has been claimed that speakers distinguish between phonemically-identical initial syllables that differ in morphological structure, but the phonetic details are poorly understood. Five female SSBE speakers read scripted dialogues containing words with such syllables, half with true prefixes (Pr) e.g. mistimes, displease, and half with pseudoprefixes(PsPr) e.g. mistakes, displays. Each word occurred both with nuclear stress and in postnuclear position. Pr words were longer up to voicing onset in the second syllable and had longer vowel and VOT, and shorter [s] than PsPr words. In nuclear mis- words, the average amplitude of the burst + aspiration was higher in Pr than PsPr words. Implications for models of morphological decomposition are discussed. | |