Infants begin to segment words from fluent speech during the same time period that they learn phonetic categories. Segmented words can provide a potentially useful cue for phonetic learning, yet accounts of phonetic category acquisition typically ignore the contexts in which sounds appear. We present two experiments to show that, contrary to the assumption that phonetic learning occurs in isola...

Infants begin to segment words from fluent speech during the same time period that they learn phonetic categories. Segmented words can provide a potentially useful cue for phonetic learning, yet accounts of phonetic category acquisition typically ignore the contexts in which sounds appear. We present two experiments to show that, contrary to the assumption that phonetic learning occurs in isola...

PURPOSE To develop a system for numerically quantifying a speaker's phonetic accuracy through transcription-based measures. With a focus on normal and disordered speech in children, the authors describe a system for differentially weighting speech sound errors on the basis of various levels of phonetic accuracy using a Weighted Speech Sound Accuracy (WSSA) score. The authors then evaluate the r...

Experience with one’s native language(s) alters the way that speech is perceived from early in infancy. The effects of language input are clearly illustrated in a development process termed phonetic attunement, where declines in perceiving non-native phonetic contrasts, and facilitation in perceiving native ones begin to emerge in the first year of life (Best, McRoberts, & Goodell, 2001; Kuhl e...

this paper examines the stylistics of the ‘arafa supplication in terms of their acoustic and phonetic levels. this supplication has a unique and consistent texture. the acoustic features of the words and sentences and the repetition of some sounds, words and phrases and acoustic syllables, as well as literary devices such as rhyme and paronomasia tend to increase the rhythm of speech. in fact, ...

This article discusses the use of phonetic features in automatic speech recognition. The phonetic features are derived from acoustic parameters by means of Kohonen networks. Behind the use of phonetic features instead of standard acoustic parameters lies the assumption that it is useful to help the system to focus on linguistically relevant signal properties. Previous experiments using very sim...