Speech Rhythm in Varieties of English

Abstract

This chapter evaluates the available evidence on the question of whether Outer Circle varieties of English tend to be more syllable-timed than Inner Circle varieties. Although a wide range of rhythm metrics has been proposed, research on the speech rhythm of varieties of English has concentrated on a small number of duration-based measures (described in Chap. 4). Results based on these metrics suggest that Outer Circle varieties are overall more syllable-timed than Inner Circle varieties. Previous research has furthermore failed to take into account the possibility of rhythmic differences between speaking styles, and the influence of methodological choices such as the exclusion or inclusion of word-final syllables or vowels in the calculation of the rhythm metrics. This prompts the conclusion that the present study needs to control for these factors and determine their influence on the results. Furthermore, following a multidimensional model of speech rhythm, Indian English might be more syllable-timed than British English on a number of different levels or acoustic correlates of rhythm. The chapter concludes with a set of hypotheses on differences in the production of speech rhythm in educated IndE and BrE. These hypotheses are for the most part based on previous descriptions of Indian English as more syllable-timed than British English, which suggests that it has less variability in a range of acoustic correlates of prominence.