ISCA Archive Eurospeech 1999
ISCA Archive Eurospeech 1999

Distance score evaluation of the visualised speech spectra at audio-visual articulation training

Klára Vicsi, F. Csatari, Zs. Bakcsi, A. Tantos

In the frame of the Inco-Copernicus program of the European Commission titled "A Multimedia Multilingual Teaching and Training System for Speech Handicapped children" an audio-visual pronunciation teaching and training method and software system has been developed for hearing and speech-handicapped persons to help them to control their speech production. During a part of the training the interpretation of the signal is based on the comparisons of the signal with the stored references. The aim of the present study is to find a distance measure that can help these comparisons and mirror the judgement of the listeners. Three spectral distance calculations have been compared. The good and unacceptable examples were separated well on the base of the Average Spectrum Distance calculation. This calculation can be the base of an automatic feedback of the actual pronunciation that could approach the decision of the listeners well.