Speech Classification

Speech Lab Spring 2009

Montgomery College

Physics, Engineering And Geosciences

Uche O. Abanulo

Speech Classification

February 17, 09 1

Speech Classification

Speech Lab Spring 2009

Detailed Classification
Montgomery College

Phonemes

Vowels

Semivowels
Glides

Consonants

Transitionals

Liquids
Fricatives

Nasals

Whispers Plosives Diphthongs Affricates

February 17, 09 2

Speech Classification

Speech Lab Spring 2009

Speech Production System

Montgomery College

February 17, 09 3

Speech Classification

Speech Lab Spring 2009

Vowels
Montgomery College

Source
Quasi-periodic puffs of airflow through the vocal folds vibrating at a certain fundamental frequency, which is the pitch

System
The formation of each vowel depends on the vocal tract configuration, which depends on the following factors:
The tongue position and degree of constriction Lips degree of openness, roundedness Jaws

Examples
/a/ in father tongue is raised at the front, low degree of constriction of tongue against palate /i/ in eve - tongue is raised at the front, high degree of constriction of tongue against palate
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Speech Classification

Speech Lab Spring 2009

Vowels
Montgomery College

Vowel i I e E

Example eve it Hate Met

@
a c o U u A R
February 17, 09 5

at
Father all obey foot boot up bird

Speech Classification

Speech Lab Spring 2009

Fricatives
Montgomery College

Source
Noise generated buy some turbulent airflow along the oral tract

System
The formation of each fricative depends on
If the vocal tract is vibrating or not (for voice and unvoiced fricatives)

the tongue
Lips Teeth

Theres usually a voiced/unvoiced pair

Examples
/z/ in Zebra vocal folds vibrate along with noise production /s/ in sweet No vibration along with noise production
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Speech Classification

Speech Lab Spring 2009

Vowels
Montgomery College

Voiced Fricative v D Z z

Example vote then azure zoo

Unvoiced Example Fricative f T S s for thin she see

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Speech Classification

Speech Lab Spring 2009

Nasals
Montgomery College

Source
Quasi-periodic airflow from vibrating vocal folds

System
Air flows through the nasal cavity, sound is radiated at the nostrils

Sound is determined by the position of the tongues constriction

Examples
/m/ in Man tongues constriction is at the lips /n/ in No tongues constriction is at the gum ridge /G/ in sing tongues constriction is near the velum

February 17, 09 8

Speech Classification

Speech Lab Spring 2009

Plosives
Montgomery College

Source/System
Burst generated as a result of pressure build-up behind an oral tract contriction
Oral tract is initially closed (with vibration of vocal cords for voiced plosives and no vibration for unvoiced plosives) Release of air pressure and generation of turbulence over a very short duration

Examples
/g/ in go vibration occurs along with constriction /k/ in baker no vibration occurs along with constriction

February 17, 09 9

Speech Classification

Speech Lab Spring 2009

Whispers
Montgomery College

Source
Noise generated buy some turbulent airflow along the oral tract

System
No constriction of oral tract but no vibration either aspiration

Examples
/h/ in he

February 17, 09 10

Speech Classification

Speech Lab Spring 2009

Transitionals
Montgomery College

Diphthongs
Vocal tract moves between two vowel sounds e.g /Y/ in hide; /W/ in out; /O/ in boy; /JU/ in new

Affricates
Formed by the transition from plosive to fricative

Example
/ts/ in chew transition from /t/ to /S/; /J/ in just transition from /d/ to /Z/

February 17, 09 11

Speech Classification

Speech Lab Spring 2009

Semi-vowels
Montgomery College

Voice-like in nature Glides

Dynamic and transitional Very similar to diphthongs Usually occur between two vowels or before a vowel

More constriction of oral tract during transition than diphthongs

Greater speed of oral tract movement e.g: /w/ in away and /y/ in you

Liquids
Similar to glides except for the tongue constriction e.g. /l/ in liquid, /r/ in right

February 17, 09 12

Speech Classification

Speech Lab Spring 2009

Why Speech Classification

Montgomery College

Artificial speech production Speech correction Speech recognition

February 17, 09 13

Speech Classification

Speech Lab Spring 2009

Generalized speech classification

Montgomery College

Voiced
Quasi-periodic excitation

Unvoiced
No periodic vibration of vocal chords Noise-like nature Production of unvoiced fricatives and plosives

Modulation by vocal tract

Production of vowels, voiced fricatives & plosives

February 17, 09 14

Speech Classification

Speech Lab Spring 2009

Generalized speech classification

Montgomery College

Embedded Voiced Speech

10000 2000 1000 5000 0 0 -1000 -5000 10000 5000 0 -5000 -5000 5000 0 10000 -2000 2000

Embedded Unvoiced Speech

1000 0 -1000 -2000 -2000 0

2000

February 17, 09 15

Speech Classification

Speech Lab Spring 2009

Generalized speech classification

Montgomery College
A Voiced Segment from a Male Speech Signal 1 0.5 0 -0.5 -1

Amplitude

0.01

0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08 Time (seconds) An Unvoiced Segment from a Male Speech Signal

0.02

0.03

0.09

0.1

1 0.5 0 -0.5 -1

Amplitude

0.01

0.02

0.03

0.04 0.05 0.06 Time (seconds)

16

0.07

0.08

0.09

0.1

February 17, 09

Speech Classification

Speech Lab Spring 2009

Lab simple observation

Montgomery College

1. Record yourself saying /S/ as in shout 2. Read and plot your file 3. Repeat 1 and 2 above with the phoneme /a/ as in father. Now lets compare the two figures

February 17, 09 17

Speech Classification

Speech Lab Spring 2009

Lab more detailed

Montgomery College

1. Record yourself saying shout Now well work together to create a voiced unvoiced detection system using only energy.

February 17, 09 18

Speech Classification

Speech Lab Spring 2009

Group Project
Montgomery College

1. 2. 3.

4.

Record yourself saying supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Manually label your recording as voiced/unvoiced Automatically label your recording using the speech classification system we just created Compare your manual and automatic labels
Figures will be awesome

5.

Discuss all the different phonemes contained in the recorded word including
1. 2. 3. 4. What kind of phoneme are they? How are they produced? Are they voiced or unvoiced? more???
19

6.

One-two page report due next week.

February 17, 09

Speech Classification

Speech Lab Spring 2009

Research
Montgomery College

1. Research on different ways for classifying speech into phonemes or as voiced/unvoiced other than energy.

2. Each group will give a 10 minute presentation at the next meeting

February 17, 09 20