Systems and Methods for an Automated Pronunciation Assessment System for Similar Vowel Pairs

A computer-implemented system for assessing non-native speech proficiency, comprising:

• one or more data processors;
• one or more computer-readable storage mediums encoded with instructions for commanding the one or more data processors to execute steps that include:
• processing a non-native speech sample to identify a plurality of vowel sound boundaries in the non-native speech sample;
• analyzing portions of the non-native speech sample within the vowel sound boundaries to extract vowel characteristics associated with a first vowel sound and a second vowel sound represented in the non-native speech sample;
• processing the vowel characteristics to identify a first vowel pronunciation metric for the first vowel sound and a second vowel pronunciation metric for the second vowel sound;
• and
• processing the first vowel pronunciation metric and the second vowel pronunciation metric to determine whether the non-native speech sample exhibits a distinction in pronunciation of the first vowel sound and the second vowel sound.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for which when executed cause a processing system to execute steps comprising:

• processing a non-native speech sample to identify a plurality of vowel sound boundaries in the non-native speech sample;
• analyzing portions of the non-native speech sample within the vowel sound boundaries to extract vowel characteristics associated with a first vowel sound and a second vowel sound represented in the non-native speech sample;
• processing the vowel characteristics to identify a first vowel pronunciation metric for the first vowel sound and a second vowel pronunciation metric for the second vowel sound;
• and
• processing the first vowel pronunciation metric and the second vowel pronunciation metric to determine whether the non-native speech sample exhibits a distinction in pronunciation of the first vowel sound and the second vowel sound.