Tempo of frequency change as a cue for distinguishing classes of speech sounds.

Abstract

Found that the tempo of the transitions was sufficient to distinguish members of the class of voiced stop consonants from corresponding members of the classes semivowels and vowels of changing color. By investigating the tempo cue with a variety of vowels, it was possible to assess the relative contributions of duration and rate of transition. The results suggest that duration is the significant aspect of the tempo cue. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)