Computer Recognition of Single‐Syllable English Words

Recognition of single‐syllable words is attempted by estimating element values of the distinctive features matrices defining their phoneme strings. These values are determined by making measurements on a filter bank representation of the short time spectrum of the unknown utterance. The first properties estimated are those least influenced by the phonetic environment, such as the presence and location of stops and fricatives, and whether the vowel is front or back. Other more dependent features are determined by phonological rules and additional measurements that depend on the estimates of the first set of properties. These include place of articulation for the stops and fricatives, other vowel features, and detection and identification of nasals, liquids, and glides. For three speakers' recordings of 60 words containing five vowels and initial and final liquids, this procedure correctly identified all but three of the vowels, and identified without error the liquids in all words with front vowels. Prelim...