Results from an ABX perception task involving the contrast between default- and late-timed pitch accents ((L+)H* and L*+H) in American English intonation demonstrate that pitch movement curvature, in addition to turning-point alignment, plays a role in determining listener categorization. A model based on Tonal Center of Gravity, effectively integrating both F0 turning-point and global contour-shape information, is shown to provide a better account of these results than can a model based on turning-points alone. Results suggest further that additional factors, such as scaling of the pitch accent in the frequency domain, may also play a role.
Index Terms: intonation contrasts, F0 alignment, F0 turning points, tonal center of gravity, global F0 contour shape
Cite as: Barnes, J., Veilleux, N., Brugos, A., Shattuck-Hufnagel, S. (2010) The effect of global F0 contour shape on the perception of tonal timing contrasts in American English intonation. Proc. Speech Prosody 2010, paper 445
@inproceedings{barnes10_speechprosody,
author={Jonathan Barnes and Nanette Veilleux and Alejna Brugos and Stefanie Shattuck-Hufnagel},
title={{The effect of global F0 contour shape on the perception of tonal timing contrasts in American English intonation}},
year=2010,
booktitle={Proc. Speech Prosody 2010},
pages={paper 445}
}