Rights Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 Hong Kong License Perception of Tones Produced by Cantonese Dysarthric Speakers

This study investigated perception of level tones produced by Cantonese dysarthric speakers associated with cerebral palsy. Dysarthric individuals with four different fundamental frequency (FO) patterns of tone production served as speakers. Analysis of the production patterns showed errors in either FO level or FO contour, or both. Monosyllabic words with contrast in tone level were used as stimuli in the identification task Eight expert listeners identified the tones of the stimuli by selecting one out of six choices of Cantonese contrastive tones. Results showed statistically significant difference in the perception of tones produced by dysarthric and non-dysarthric speakers. Besides, substantial differences were found in the misidentification pattern between the two groups. Error patterns involving the identification of level tones as rising tone occurred for dysarthric speakers only. Significant differences were found in the identification patterns between different groups of dysarthric speakers. Influences of different types of production error on perception were also evaluated.