Rule‐generated pitch contour algorithm based on Junction Grammar linguistic model

Abstract

A computer algorithm to generate pitch contours for various readings of an utterance is described. A Junction Grammar model of language containing semantico‐syntactic information represented in “junction trees” is used as the basis for the algorithm. Recent developments of this model [Lytle, “Junction Theory as a Base for Dynamic Phonological Representation,” Reported of BYU Linguistics Symposium (Provo, UT, 1976)] have provided a means for going from “junction trees” to “articulation trees” which contain language‐specific segmental and prosodic information. These “articulation trees” were used to generate a pitch contour for various readings of a sentence using one set of LPC analysis data. From a varied corpus of 10 sentences (10 LPC sets), 23 different readings were synthesized using the algorithm to generate the pitch (fundamental frequency) contour in each case. Current research shows favorable preliminary results in expanding the algorithm to also predict pause and duration parameters in a word concatenation speech synthesis system.