NCJ Number
102335
Date Published
1985
Length
41 pages
Annotation
The quantitative analysis of an individual's natural speech features offers a reliable method of speaker identification, although further research is needed before the method is used in the field.
Abstract
Several hundred basic experiments and studies of seven actual civil or criminal cases were used to examine six speech characteristics: general voice quality, speaking fundamental frequency level, vocal intensity level, articulation of vowels and nasal consonants, time features of speech, and vocal roughness. Voice quality, speaking fundamental frequency, vowel and syllable features, and speech time and rate were the most useful for speech identification. Although no single speech characteristic is likely to permit high levels of correct identification, using a profile or group of vectors should permit the successful application of the process. Using natural speech features as analyzed by machine is superior to other techniques for speaker identification. Data tables.