Théorie de la syllabe et durées vocaliques : Vers une interprétation unifiée du rôle de la structure syllabique et de la nature des segments.
Olivier Crouzet, Angoujard Jean-Pierre.

It is generally agreed that vowel duration may be influenced by both phonetic context and syllable structure. Though it may seem reasonable to call for two different variables in this respect, we show that the rythm and substance approach to syllable structure may offer a common framework for unifying these two sources of variation into a single theoretical account. The results of a speech production experiment involving french speakers are described which confirm that this syllabic approach accounts for some of the predicted deviations in vowel duration when syllabic and contextual effects are involved. Though further studies should be conducted, this framework seems particularly promising for the understanding of the relationship between articulatory, phonological and rythmic influences on speech production mechanisms.