Phonetic Database, Model 4332

The University of Victoria, Speech Technology Research, Ltd., the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Kay Elemetrics Corp. have collaborated to provide the Phonetic Database and Program, Model 4332, on CD-ROM. It consists of digitized speech samples from a variety of languages and provides easy access to a broad range of speech samples for teaching and research applications.

The Phonetic Database and Program includes a database
 of more than 4,000 files and 45 languages.  Each example 
 can be loaded and analyzed. Above is an example from the
Kazakh language. The waveform is loaded and displayed
 with time-linked IPA symbols. A spectrogram of the first second
  is also displayed. The program allows the user to scroll through
the signal. The IPA Characters dialog box is loaded so that
  users can add their own IPA symbols and save with the signal.

The Database

The Phonetic Database illustrates the sounds, symbols, and conventions of transcription for a number of languages. In most cases, the items presented are meant to illustrate the extent of phonological contrast in the language, to represent a wide range of phonetic realizations, and to give examples of running speech. Presently, the database consists of more than 4,000 separate digitized files (either words or sentences from 45 languages). A substantial number of the digitized samples have IPA transcriptions time-synchronized to the digitized waveforms. There are additional files with onomatopoetic expressions. Other languages are in the process of being compiled for future updates to the database. The contents and languages are frequently updated. Visit the Web site of Speech Technology Research (www.speechtech.com/pdb2.html) or Kay (phonetic database languages) for a current list of languages in the Phonetic Database.  

The program provides direct menu access to the database and
 to the acoustic analysis tools for analyzing the data. The
 figure above shows the menus and submenus as they appear
 when the Indo-Iranian Branch of the Indo-European
 Languages is selected.

The Program

Included with the database is a custom program using program tools from CSL/Multi-Speech to fully explore the acoustic properties. The program also provides listening tools and the ability to add transcription.

IPA symbols can be added, time-linked,
and stored with the speech waveform.

Features

• CD-ROM with over 4000 acoustic files 45 different languages

• Quick access to any example

•  Ideal for teaching acoustic phonetics

•  Full-featured program for complete analysis

•  IPA transcription for large sample of files

The 700-page manual for the Phonetic Database includes a phonetic inventory of the sound system of each language, file name, phonemic and phonetic transcription, orthography, and English  gloss for all 4,048 files.

The Phonetic Database and Program provides inexpensive access on CD-ROM to speech examples from 45 languages. It is an excellent resource for teaching phonetic sciences and for exploring the wide variety of speech sounds. The program facilitates easy access to this database with all languages directly on pull-down menus.

Current CSL, Model 4500 and 4150, software and database options include:

• Analysis-Synthesis Laboratory (ASL), Model 5104

• Applied Speech Science for Dysarthrias, Model 5153

• Applied Speech Science for Voice & Resonance Disorders, Model 5156

• Auditory Feedback Tools, Model 3506

• Disordered Voice Database, Model 4337

• Games, Model 5167

• Motor Speech Profile, Model 5141

• Multi-Dimensional Voice Program, Model 5105

• Neuroscience for Human Communications, Model 5155

• Palatometer Database, Model 4333

• Phonetic & Perception Simulation Programs, Model 5151

• Phonetic Database, Model 4332

• Real-Time EGG Analysis, Model 5138

• Real-Time Pitch, Model 5121

• Real-Time Spectrogram, Model 5129

• Respiration, Phonation and Prosody Simulation, Model 5152

• Signal Enhancement Program, Model 5142

• Sona-Match, Model 5127

• Speech Articulation: Animation of Muscle Vectors, Model 5154

• Video Phonetics Program and Database, Model 5150

• Voice Range Profile, Model 4326 

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