Lexical stress detection in isolated English words

Abstract

Two experiments are reported concerning the detection of lexical stress in isolated English words. A non-statistical method using rules based on pitch variations is proposed. Better results are obtained with this method than when using static values of pitch as stress correlates. To avoid the problem of syllable segmentation, two methods based on pitch and energy function contours are presented to find stressed regions in words. These regions can be considered as regions of phonetic reliability. The second experiment analyzes lexical stress in words pronounced with a rising pitch. Maximum energy is reported to be the best correlate of stress, followed by duration. Finally, it is proposed that the study of lexical stress in continuous speech be accompanied by the study of prosodics and their general use in sentences.