An automated telecommunication system adjunct is described that 'listens' to one or more participants styles of speech, identifies specific characteristics that represent differences in their styles, notably the accent, but also one or more of pronunciation accuracy, speed, pitch, cadence, intonation, co-articulation, syllable emphasis, and syllable duration, and utilizes, for example, a mathematical model in which the independent measurable components of speech that can affect understandability by that specific listener are weighted appropriately and then combined into a single overall scorethat indicates the estimated ease with which the listener can understand what is being said, and presents real-time feedback to speakers based on the score. In addition, the system can provide recommendations to the speaker as to how improve understandability.
Estimating a Listener's Ability To Understand a Speaker, Based on Comparisons of Their Styles of Speech