Developments in Speech Synthesis
Chapter One
High-Level and Low-Level
Synthesis
1.1 Differentiating Between Low-Level and High-Level Synthesis
We need to differentiate between low- and high-level synthesis. Linguistics makes a broadly
equivalent distinction in terms of human speech production: low-level synthesis corresponds
roughly to phonetics and high-level synthesis corresponds roughly to phonology. There is
some blurring between these two components, and we shall discuss the importance of this
in due course (see Chapter 11 and Chapter 25).
In linguistics, phonology is essentially about planning. It is here that the plan is put together
for speaking utterances formulated by other parts of the linguistics, like semantics and syntax.
These other areas are not concerned with speaking-their domain is how to arrive at phrases
and sentences which appropriately reflect the meaning of what a person has to say. It is felt
that it is only when these pre-speech phrases and sentences are arrived at that the business
of planning how to speak them begins. One reason why we feel that there is somewhat of
a break betwee ... read full excerpt from Developments in Speech Synthesis ebook
