Speaking rates of American and New Zealand varieties of English

Abstract

Measures of speaking rate provide an index of speech timing control. The present study sought to evaluate speech timing control in two varieties of English, American English (AE), and New Zealand English (NZE). Measures of speaking rate were calculated for 40 adult AE speakers which were then compared to a group of 40 adult NZE speakers. Results of the analysis identified significantly faster speaking rate and articulation rate among the NZE speakers compared to AE speakers. Vowel changes occurring in both varieties of English over the past decades, as well as contrasting rhythmic properties, are proposed to account for the rate differences. Because temporal differences can be a component of disordered speech and are a major component in certain motor speech disorders and disorders of fluency, normative speaking rate data are often utilized by speech–language pathologists. The present results, viewed from a clinical standpoint, would suggest that the particular variety of English spoken by a client is an important variable when addressing disorders of speech timing.