Aligning Pitch Targets in Speech Synthesis : Effects of Syllable Structure

Abstract The perceptual cross-over point between a Dutch ‘‘flat-hat ’’ contour with an early final fall and one with a late final fall is sensitive to the segmental structure of the syllable accented by the fall. The findings are interpreted in terms of segmental influences on the alignment of accented targets (H*): voiced segments in the syllable onset and coda pull it leftwards and rightwards, respectively, while voiceless segments in the onset also exert a leftward pull. The P-centre as defined in the work of Pompino-Marschall does not explain the variation observed. It is concluded that phonetic implementation rules align the intonational targets with reference to the beginning of the syllable, but additionally allow the voiced segments in the onset and rhyme to centre the location to a certain extent within the voiced stretch.

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