The effect of local speaking rate on perceived quantity: a comparison between three languages

In an earlier experiment, the effect of the speech rate of a short preceding or following context was manipulated in addition to the duration of a V, C or VC-sequence that car-ried a quantity distinction in Estonian words. In order to see to what extent and in which sense the observed perceptual effects are language dependent, the same stimuli were presented to Finns and a subset to Norwegians, represent-ing languages with a different or smaller functional load of quantity distinctions. The results obtained with Estonian and Finnish listeners are compatible with a model of speech perception in which variations in speaking rate are reflected in the pace of an "inner clock" by which listeners measure segment durations. More �absolute� and narrow scoped results obtained with Norwegians are compatible with such a model only if the inner clocks of listeners with a less demanding linguistic background are assumed to resist such influence to a higher degree.