Modeling speaker variation in cues to prominence using the Bayesian information criterion

This study investigated speaker variation in the production of various acoustic cues of prominence, including duration and intensity measures. The Bayesian Information Criterion was used to specify a threshold distinction between cues that are linearly vs. piece-wise linearly predictors of the degree of perceived prominence. For all speakers, some features are linear and some features are discrete in the manner in which they cue prominence. However, the results also suggest that speakers differ in the number of prominence distinctions that they make. Under a metrical stress notion of hierarchically layered prominence, our result would suggest that some speakers do not exploit the full range of prominence distinctions offered in English.