Multisyllabic Non-linear Analysis
The Multisyllabic Non-linear analysis scores productions of multisyllabic words across stress, syllable, word-structure, segmental, and feature dimensions. Use the report to inspect individual productions and compare scores by word and participant.
Before you begin
The analysis compares the aligned words in the IPA Target and IPA Actual tiers. Before running it:
- enter the word in Orthography and the corresponding transcriptions in IPA Target and IPA Actual;
- check the syllabification and stress markings in both IPA tiers;
- check the phone alignment between IPA Target and IPA Actual; and
- assign a speaker to each record that you want grouped under a participant.
Incorrect syllabification, stress, or alignment changes the resulting scores.
Parameters
The first page of the analysis assistant contains the standard Data Tiers
query controls. By default, the analysis searches the Orthography tier by
word using the regular expression \w+. The aligned word data includes
Orthography, IPA Target, IPA Actual, and Alignment.
Use the available controls to narrow or expand the sample:
| Control | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Tier Options | Select the tier, expression type, and expression used to find records. |
| Aligned Tier Filter | Filter results using data aligned with the selected tier. |
| Word Options | Search and report individual aligned words. This option is enabled by default. |
| Aligned Word Filter | Filter the aligned words included in the report. |
| Additional Tier Data | Add other tier values to the query results. |
| Participant Filter | Include only productions from selected participants. |
How productions are scored
Each production table has the columns Category, Description, Value, and Total. Only detected differences appear as detail rows; every category also has a subtotal row.
Stress
The analysis adds one point for each type of lexical stress mismatch found in the word, such as a primary- or secondary-stress mismatch. It adds one more point when the complete target and actual stress patterns differ.
Syllable
The analysis adds one point for each inserted or deleted syllable.
Phone/Timing Unit
The analysis adds one point for each inserted or deleted phone. Compensatory vowel lengthening associated with a deleted coda is reported as a timing-unit difference rather than as a second deletion for that coda.
Feature
For aligned substitutions, the analysis adds one point for each differing feature dimension:
- consonants: place, manner, and voicing;
- vowels: height, backness, tenseness, and rounding. Rounding is not scored for a target schwa.
A consonant insertion or deletion has a feature value of 3; a vowel insertion or deletion has a feature value of 4. Syllabic consonants are scored using the vowel dimensions.
Detected consonant segmental relations, such as harmony or metathesis, also appear in the Feature category. Their value is the number of feature dimensions involved. Phones in a detected segmental relation are not scored again as ordinary substitutions.
The production Total is the sum of the Stress, Syllable, Phone/Timing Unit, and Feature subtotals.
Reading the report
The report begins with Readme and Parameters, followed by one section for each participant represented in the results:
- The participant Summary has one row per word and a final total row. When a participant produces a word more than once, its word row contains the average score across those productions.
- Each word section is labelled with its Orthography and IPA Target. Its Summary lists the session, record number, IPA Target, IPA Actual, and scores for every production, followed by a total row.
- A numbered table for each production gives the detailed scoring decisions. Its caption contains the IPA Actual form.
The participant and word summaries include these score columns:
| Group | Columns |
|---|---|
| Word structure | Stress Subtotal, Syllable Subtotal, Phone/Timing Unit Subtotal, Word Structure Subtotal |
| Consonant features | Place Subtotal, Manner Subtotal, Voicing Subtotal |
| Other features | Vowel Feature Subtotal, Segmental Relations Subtotal, Feature Subtotal |
| Overall | Total |
Word Structure Subtotal is the sum of the Stress, Syllable, and Phone/Timing Unit subtotals. Feature Subtotal includes segmental-relation scores. Total combines the Word Structure and Feature subtotals.