Register as a variable in prosodic analysis: The case of the English negative

Abstract

The next generation of text-to-speech systems will have to be more sensitive to sociolinguistic ‘style’ variables. In order to assist in the adaptation of synthesis to a wider range of contexts, this article examines several sociolinguistic parameters which have been shown to influence the realization of negatives in actual discourse, analyzing their effects on the realization of negatives in English prose readings. Consistent with the results found in an earlier study, the analysis shows that pitch prominence on negatives is not common in read prose passages, and is even less common in read dialogue. Informational content (and consequently pitch prominence on negatives) is more important in prose addressed to children than in narrative reading for adults, while the more formal the prose for adults, the less likely prominence is to occur. The results show a surprising absence of conformity with ‘theoretical’ linguistic expectations, highlighting the necessity for consideration of register as an important variable for speech synthesis.