Consonant Confusions and the Constant Ratio Rule

Abstract

The constant-ratio rule of Clarke was evaluated with spoken initial English consonants heard against noise: /f, h, l, r, w, y/, the cluster /hw/ and the absence of the initial consonant /#/. The average deviation between observed consonant confusions for three sets of 4 times 4 matrices and confusions predicted on the basis of the constant-ratio rule from the 8 times 8 matrix averaged about four per cent over a wide range of S/N ratios. A tentative representational structure for the selected consonants, based on the confusion analysis, is presented.