Frequency and amplitude derivatives as syllable-level F 0 features

Most descriptions of tone and intonation focus on the alignment of F0 rises, falls, and inflection points relative to the phonetic unfolding of associated syllables. In this context, it is suggested that the relationship between proportional changes in F0 (treated modularly to eliminate the effects of period doubling and halving) and proportional changes in amplitude (within the frequency bands typically dominated by energy from voicing) provides an interesting characterization of F0 trajectories in relation to syllabic structure. Using data from conversational and broadcast speech in English and Chinese, parameters of this type (in combination with other acoustic measures) are used in identifying relevant features of tone and intonation.