LINGUIST List 14.3166

Wed Nov 19 2003

Qs: English Phoneme Frequency List

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  • Christina Bosemark, Phoneme frequency list

    Message 1: Phoneme frequency list

     Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2003 10:13:40 -0500
    From: Christina Bosemark <bosemarkyahoo.com>
    Subject: Phoneme frequency list


    Hi,

    I'm looking for help on making a phoneme frequency list of a short text (about 300 words). Languages initially are English, French, German and Swedish. Any suggestions on whom I could contact? Also, does anybody know JJ Higgins per e-mail below. I've not been able to contact him.

    Thanks, Christina

    From: "J.J. Higgins" <J.Higginsbristol.ac.uk <mailto:J.Higginsbristol.ac.uk> Subject: Phoneme frequency list

    RP PHONEMES AND MINIMAL PAIRS

    As a by-product of my electronic search for minimal pairs, I have generated a frequency list of RP-phonemes in the Advanced Learners Dictionary which colleagues might find interesting. I would be grateful to anybody who could point me towards any similar work on sounds in transcriptions of speech.

    By the way, I now have about thirty minimal pair lists derived from the pronunciation field in the electronic ALD, and have edited and annotated about ten of these. In the long run I hope to create all the 480 or so lists that are theoretically possible, just for the sake of statistical comparison. Meanwhile anyone who wants to see a particular list can get in touch; I can e-mail it, and will generate the list if it does not exist yet.

    John Higgins, University of Bristol J.Higginsbristol.ac.uk <mailto:J.Higginsbristol.ac.uk>