Computational Phonology - Part II: Grammars, Learning, and the Future

Computational phonology studies sound patterns in the world’s languages from a computational perspective. This article shows that the similarities between different generative theories outweigh the differences, and discusses stochastic grammars and learning models within phonology from a computational perspective. Also, it shows how the hypothesis that all sound patterns are subregular can be investigated, pointing the direction for future research. Taken together, these contributions show computational phonology is identifying stronger and stronger universal properties of phonological patterns, which are reflected in the grammatical formalisms phonologists employ. This article is intended primarily for phonologists who are curious about computational phonology, but do not have a rigorous background in mathematics or computation. However, it is also informative for readers with a background in computation and the basics of phonology, and who are curious about what computational analysis offers phonological theory.