Relationship between Speech Rate Perceived and Produced by the Listener

Abstract

The present research examines the impact of listeners’ own rate of speech production on their perception of speech rate. We recorded 28 native French speakers reading a passage at normal, fast and slow rates. The same speakers then assessed the rate of production of these samples by all speakers and at all rates (normal, fast and slow), using a magnitude estimation task. We show that there is an inverse relationship between listeners’ own rate of production and their judgment of rate, so that listeners with slower rates tend to overestimate sample rates relative to faster speakers. This effect of listeners’ own rate was present in the magnitude estimation results at slow and normal rates, but not at fast rates. Furthermore, listeners with a slow rate are more sensitive to rate differences within a given rate category (normal, fast and slow). The listener’s own rate should therefore be considered as a critical factor in speech rate perception.