Speech Rhythm in Korean: Experiments in Speech Cycling

Korean has not been unanimously classified for rhythm class, and it lacks stress. Thus, it does not fit into views that rhythm rests on alternations of metrical strength. The goal was to examine what, if any, elements are used in Korean for rhythm purposes. It was hypothesized that the onsets of accentual phrases act as beats. The materials were 6 sentences; each was 9 syllables and three APs long. The number of syllables in each AP varied. Syllable composition also varied between CV and CVC. Native speakers repeated each sentence, fitting each repetition into beat intervals at three different metronome rates. Each AP was expressed as a ratio of the entire cycle. Two experiments were conducted. The first experiment suggests that speakers keep AP onsets in phase although syllable count and composition also affect phase. The results support our hypothesis that AP onsets operate similarly to stresses. The second experiment that used waltz rhythm showed that it is the only level of prominence, and no differentiation between the strength of these beats, such that it would produce waltz rhythm, is possible. The results suggest that Korean rhythm is not characterized by multiple levels of alternation between strong and weak constituents.