The Significance of Changes in the Rate of Articulation

Abstract

The term “rate of articulation” is applied to the absolute rate of speech, i.e. the rate based on the time of vocal speech utterance exclusive of pauses. The significance of its changes was studied in relation to changes in levels of verbal planning and in degrees of spontaneity. The effect of individual differences was also investigated. While articulation rate proved to be a personality constant of remarkable invariance it also reflects the degree of spontaneity in the production of speech. Variations in level of verbal planning were shown to have no effect on the rate of articulation. The implications of these results are discussed.