Speech Synthesis and Processing

Speech Synthesis and Processing is a field at the intersection of Computer Science and Signal Processing that focuses on the computational analysis and generation of human speech. It encompasses two main areas: speech processing, which uses algorithms to analyze audio signals for tasks like automatic speech recognition (converting speech to text) and speaker identification; and speech synthesis, or text-to-speech (TTS), which involves artificially creating human-like speech from written text. By applying signal processing techniques to manipulate audio waveforms and machine learning models to understand linguistic patterns, this discipline enables more natural and intuitive human-computer interaction.

1. Fundamentals of Sound and Speech
   1. The Physics of Sound
      1. Nature of Sound Waves
         1. Wave Properties and Characteristics
         2. Longitudinal Waves in Air
         3. Transverse Wave Components
         4. Wave Propagation Mechanics
         5. Speed of Sound in Different Media
      2. Amplitude and Sound Intensity
         1. Physical Amplitude Measurement
         2. Sound Intensity and Power
         3. Relationship to Loudness Perception
         4. Dynamic Range in Audio
      3. Frequency and Pitch Perception
         1. Fundamental Frequency
         2. Harmonic Series
         3. Overtones and Partials
         4. Frequency Resolution Limits
         5. Pitch Perception Mechanisms
      4. Timbre and Spectral Characteristics
         1. Harmonic Content Analysis
         2. Spectral Envelope
         3. Temporal Envelope
         4. Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release
         5. Source Identification Cues
      5. The Decibel Scale
         1. Logarithmic Nature of Hearing
         2. Sound Pressure Level (SPL)
         3. Reference Pressure Standards
         4. A-weighting and Frequency Response
         5. Common Sound Level Examples
   2. Human Speech Production
      1. Respiratory System
         1. Lung Capacity and Control
         2. Diaphragmatic Breathing
         3. Subglottal Pressure
         4. Breathing Patterns in Speech
      2. Phonatory System
         1. Laryngeal Anatomy
         2. Vocal Fold Structure
         3. Vocal Fold Vibration Mechanics
         4. Glottal Configurations
         5. Voice Quality Parameters
      3. Articulatory System
         1. Active Articulators
            1. Tongue Body and Tip
            2. Lower Lip
            3. Jaw Movement
         2. Passive Articulators
            1. Upper Lip
            2. Teeth
            3. Alveolar Ridge
            4. Hard Palate
            5. Soft Palate
            6. Pharyngeal Wall
      4. Places of Articulation
         1. Bilabial
         2. Labiodental
         3. Dental
         4. Alveolar
         5. Postalveolar
         6. Retroflex
         7. Palatal
         8. Velar
         9. Uvular
         10. Pharyngeal
         11. Glottal
      5. Manners of Articulation
         1. Stops (Plosives)
         2. Fricatives
         3. Affricates
         4. Nasals
         5. Laterals
         6. Approximants
         7. Trills and Taps
      6. The Source-Filter Model
         1. Glottal Source Characteristics
         2. Vocal Tract Transfer Function
         3. Formant Frequencies
         4. Anti-formants and Zeros
         5. Lip Radiation Effects
         6. Model Limitations and Extensions
   3. Human Speech Perception
      1. Auditory System Anatomy
         1. Outer Ear Structure and Function
         2. Middle Ear Mechanics
         3. Inner Ear and Cochlear Processing
         4. Auditory Nerve Pathways
         5. Central Auditory Processing
      2. Psychoacoustic Principles
         1. Auditory Masking
            1. Simultaneous Masking
            2. Temporal Masking
            3. Masking Patterns
         2. Critical Bands and Bark Scale
         3. Loudness Perception Models
         4. Pitch Perception Theories
      3. Perceptual Scales
         1. Mel Scale
            1. Mathematical Definition
            2. Perceptual Basis
            3. Applications in Speech Processing
         2. Bark Scale
            1. Critical Band Theory
            2. Frequency Warping
            3. Psychoacoustic Applications
         3. ERB Scale
            1. Equivalent Rectangular Bandwidth
            2. Modern Auditory Models
      4. Speech Perception Phenomena
         1. Categorical Perception
         2. Coarticulation Effects
         3. Context-Dependent Perception
         4. Perceptual Constancy
   4. Phonetics and Phonology
      1. Phonetic Units
         1. Phones
         2. Phonemes
         3. Allophones
         4. Minimal Pairs
         5. Phonemic Contrast
      2. International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
         1. IPA Chart Organization
         2. Consonant Symbols
         3. Vowel Symbols
         4. Diacritical Marks
         5. Transcription Conventions
      3. Vowel Systems
         1. Vowel Space and Formants
         2. Height Dimension
         3. Backness Dimension
         4. Rounding
         5. Vowel Quadrilateral
         6. Monophthongs and Diphthongs
      4. Consonant Systems
         1. Place-Manner Matrix
         2. Voicing Distinctions
         3. Secondary Articulations
         4. Consonant Clusters
      5. Prosodic Features
         1. Stress Systems
            1. Lexical Stress
            2. Sentence Stress
            3. Stress Patterns
         2. Intonation
            1. Pitch Contours
            2. Boundary Tones
            3. Accent Types
         3. Rhythm and Timing
            1. Syllable-timed Languages
            2. Stress-timed Languages
            3. Mora-timed Languages
         4. Tone Systems
            1. Level Tones
            2. Contour Tones
            3. Tone Sandhi