A pitch measurement algorithm for speech

An algorithm is described which measures the pitch of auditory signals. The algorithm is not restricted to steady-state signsls, and it incorporates modern knowledge of coding of signals on the auditory nerve. The algorithm is signal-dependent, and it captures the essential elements of current pitch theories [1] for steady-state signals. An important implication of this pitch-detection algorithm is that the pitch of a signal is different from its fundamental frequency when amplitude is changing rapidly. Systematic phoneme-specific pitch contours due to this effect are demonstrated.