Variable voice rate apparatus and variable voice rate method

A variable voice rate method of controlling a reproduction rate of voice, comprising:

• generating voice data from the voice;
• generating, in a text data generating unit, text data indicating a content of the voice data, based on the generated voice data;
• generating, in a division information generating unit, division information used for dividing the text data into a plurality of linguistic units each of which is characterized by a linguistic form;
• generating, as reproduction information concerning reproduction control of the voice for each of linguistic units in a reproduction information generation unit, information indicating a probability with which preset ones of the linguistic units are combined in a preset order;
• storing, in a first storage, the reproduction information;
• storing, in a second storage, the voice data and the division information;
• selecting, from the linguistic units, combinations of linguistic units each having a probability lower than a preset value, based on the stored reproduction information and the stored division information;
• and
• generating a voice signal, in a voice reproduction controller, based on the voice data corresponding to the selected combinations.