Customising Czech phonetic alignment using HuBERT and manual segmentation
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216208%3A11210%2F25%3A10508903" target="_blank" >RIV/00216208:11210/25:10508903 - isvavai.cz</a>
Result on the web
<a href="https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=M1bzW3Xugi" target="_blank" >https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=M1bzW3Xugi</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.14712/24646830.2025.20" target="_blank" >10.14712/24646830.2025.20</a>
Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Customising Czech phonetic alignment using HuBERT and manual segmentation
Original language description
This paper presents Prak, a forced alignment tool developed for Czech, with a focus on transparent modular design and phonetic accuracy. In addition to a rule-based pronunciation module and exception handling, Prak introduces a novel application of non-deterministic, backward-processing FSTs to model complex regressive assimilation processes in Czech consonant clusters. We further describe the integration of a HuBERT-based transformer model and training including extensive manually time-aligned data to enhance phone classification accuracy while maintaining ease of installation and use. Evaluation against a manually aligned test corpus demonstrates that the enhanced model significantly outperforms both our earlier Prak-CV model and the long-established previous forced alignment baseline. The new model reduces major boundary errors and mismatches, bringing alignment accuracy closer to manual phonetic segmentation standards for Czech. We emphasize both methodological transparency and practical usability, aiming to support phoneticians working with Czech as well as developers interested in extending the tool for other languages.
Czech name
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Czech description
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Classification
Type
J<sub>ost</sub> - Miscellaneous article in a specialist periodical
CEP classification
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OECD FORD branch
60203 - Linguistics
Result continuities
Project
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Continuities
I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace
Others
Publication year
2025
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data specific for result type
Name of the periodical
Acta Universitatis Carolinae. Philologica
ISSN
0567-8269
e-ISSN
2464-6830
Volume of the periodical
2025
Issue of the periodical within the volume
3
Country of publishing house
CZ - CZECH REPUBLIC
Number of pages
18
Pages from-to
43-60
UT code for WoS article
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EID of the result in the Scopus database
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