Investigating Speech Characteristics of Georgian Native and Non-Native Speakers: A Forensic Phonetics Study

Abstract

Forensic Phonetics aims to identify speakers through various speech characteristics that may differentiate them from others. This paper discusses the importance of selecting appropriate parameters that are independent and have high inter-speaker and low intra-speaker variation. Speech rate and fundamental frequency are analyzed to collect statistical information on the Georgian language for both native and non-native speakers. The study recorded oral speeches of 60 Georgian native speakers from three different age categories, and 20 high-competence Azerbaijani-speaking Tbilisi State University students. Results show the normal articulation tempo of the Georgian language to be between 5.1 to 6.3 syllables/second. Additionally, fundamental frequency differences were observed in the non-native speaker group compared to the native speaker group.