The Effect of Fundamental Frequency Variations on the Perception of Stress in German

Abstract

Abstract An analysis of fundamental frequency variations occurring with stressed syllables in a sample of natural German speech is used to examine some of the results obtained by Isačenko and Schädlich from experiments with synthesized speech. Isačenko and Schädlich’s results indicated that perceptible rises and falls in fundamental frequency can lead to the perception of stress. The present analysis indicates that not all syllables with which perceptible fundamental frequency variations occur are heard as stressed; but it is possible that the last change in pitch direction in an ‘information unit’ leads to the perception of stress on the syllable with which the change is associated.