Proportional timing in speech motor control

Abstract

This paper explores the hypothesis that speech motor control is characterized by proportional timing. Proportional timing implies that ratios between articulatory intervals should remain constant as stress and speaking rate are varied. According to the received view, proportional timing is found both in speech and many other areas of motor control. Experimental analysis of movement intervals within and across linguistic segments does not show any evidence of proportional timing, however. Thus, proportional timing does not appear to be an adequate description of speech movement sequencing.