Abstract
The interaction between speech rate and rhythm is a topic that has hardly been studied in respective models of language rhythm though its potential significance has recently been addressed: since both of these prosodic parameters are to a great extent dependent on speech timing they are suspected to interact to a great degree. The present research studies the influence of speech rate on the vocalic and intervocalic measures %V and deltaC that have been discussed widely in the recent past as measures by which language rhythm classes may be distinguished. Results show that deltaC is extremely speech rate dependent while %V remains rather stabile across different speech rates. Different results may be obtained according to the way speech rate is controlled across languages. An alternative model for a cross language rate control will be proposed in this context.
Dellwo, Volker