F/sub 0/ perturbations by consonants and their implications on tone recognition

In this paper, we present a study on variations of fundamental frequency (F/sub 0/) in speech production of Mandarin Chinese, and discuss the implications of our results for automatic tone recognition. Target syllables with different consonants and tones were analyzed in continuous speech samples. Compared to the control syllable /ma/ which shows a smooth transition from the onset F/sub 0/ value to the current tonal target, syllables with voiceless initial consonants have local raisings of F/sub 0/ at voice onset and shorter F/sub 0/ trajectories. The effect known as consonant perturbation on F/sub 0/ is local and does not alter the original course of known contextual tonal variations. Rather, it is superimposed on other effects, and thus contributes to the appearance of surface F/sub 0/ contours. Understanding and consideration of consonant perturbation on F/sub 0/ curves therefore should help improve the performance of current tone recognition systems.

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