Rethinking pauses: Beyond speech rate in Cantonese alaryngeal speech

The purpose of this study was to examine pausing associated with Cantonesealaryngeal speech between and within phrases selected from a standard reading passage. The North Wind and the Sun was read aloud at a self-determined habitual speaking rate by four Cantonese control speakers and 31 Cantonese alaryngeal speakers (9 electrolarynx [EL] speakers, 10 esophageal [ES] speakers, and 12 tracheoesophageal [TE] speakers). An analysis of pause durations between phrases and silent intervals within phrases was conducted. Results showed significant differences in pause durations between phrases and within phrases for Cantonese alaryngeal speakers. Cantonese TE and ES speakers exhibited significantly longer pause durations between phrases and longer silent durations within phrases compared to EL speakers. Findings highlight the need for alaryngeal voice and speech rehabilitation protocols to include prosodic aspects, especially for ES speech that continues to serve as a viable option for verbal communication postlaryngectomy.