Determinants of Hesitations and Repetitions in Hindi Spontaneous Speech

2026-06-25 · Source: Paper Index on ACL Anthology · Field: Technology & Digital — Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Data Science & Analytics, Natural Language Processing · Depth: Expert, quick

Summary

Research into Hindi spontaneous speech identifies distinct determinants for hesitations and repetitions. This study specifically probes how lexical, syntactic, phonological, and prosodic factors, originating from both preceding and following words, influence these disfluencies. Findings indicate that hesitations increase due to lexical, syntactic, and articulatory features from both preceding and following words. In contrast, repetitions are mainly linked to lexical and articulatory factors of the upcoming word. The research also highlights that, unlike prior English studies focusing on upcoming speech difficulty, previously encountered difficulties can also elevate disfluencies in Hindi. This suggests language typology, like SVO versus SOV structures, critically shapes speech planning and disfluency distribution, emphasizing the need for broader cross-linguistic investigation into speech production systems.

Key takeaway

For NLP Engineers developing speech recognition or synthesis systems for Hindi, understanding the distinct determinants of hesitations and repetitions is crucial. Your models should account for both preceding and upcoming linguistic factors, recognizing that language typology impacts disfluency patterns. This insight can improve the naturalness and accuracy of Hindi speech processing, especially when handling spontaneous speech.

Key insights

Hindi speech disfluencies (hesitations, repetitions) are influenced by distinct lexical, syntactic, and articulatory factors, differing from English patterns.

Principles

• Hesitations and repetitions pattern differently.
• Disfluencies can arise from preceding difficulties.
• Language typology affects speech planning and disfluencies.

Topics

• Hindi Speech
• Speech Disfluencies
• Hesitations
• Repetitions
• Language Typology
• Cross-linguistic Linguistics

Best for: Research Scientist, AI Scientist, NLP Engineer

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by Paper Index on ACL Anthology.