Nortel Networks Corporation

Marc A Fabiani

Michael G Sabourin

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for generating transcriptions suitable for use in a speech-processing device. The invention provides processing the vocabulary item to derive a characteristic from the vocabulary item allowing to divide a pool of available languages in a first sub-group and a second sub-group. The vocabulary item manifests a higher probability of belonging to any one of the languages in the first sub-group than belonging to any language in the second sub-group. The invention further provides processing the vocabulary item to generate a group of transcriptions, the group of transcriptions being characterized by the absence of at least one transcription belonging to a language in the second sub-group of languages established for the vocabulary item. The group of transcriptions is then released for use by a speech-processing device.

Method and apparatus for generating multilingual transcription groups

A confusability tool generates a confusability cost associated with two phonemic transcriptions. The confusability cost measures the likelihood that a human or machine hearing the first word will mistakenly hear the second word. The cost calculation is based on a weighting of the Levinstein distance between the transcription pair.

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Outremont, Canada

Marc A Fabiani