Synthesizing intonation

This paper describes a computer program for synthesizing fundamental frequency (F0) contours for English, and sketches the theory which underlies it. The F0 contour is described as a series of targets within an envelope specifying F0 range; the F0 contour between targets is computed by transition rules. The use of nonmonotonic transitions permits a sparser specification of the contour than has been possible in most previous frameworks. The program generates a good synthesis of neutral declarative intonation. Unlike most previous F0 synthesis programs, it can also be used to synthesize a variety of non-neutral intonation patterns.