Tongue Twisters, due to their alliterative nature are a collection of words that when put together are difficult to pronounce. Various factors can impact a tongue twister’s difficulty level, and parameters such as rhyme and syllable stresses can be manipulated to do the same. Rhyme, can only be found using phonetic spellings as they are “speech sounds” and as spellings and pronunciations are deceptive in the English Language, phonetics are the most accurate way to investigate this parameter. Consequently, alliteration, syllables and phonetic vowels work the same way. This project will delve into said parameters and generate tongue twisters with varying difficulties with assistance of certain word’s phonetic spellings.
Introduction
Introduction
To start my project, I conducted extensive research to define the term “tongue twister” and identify the specific areas to focus on for creating my own. My key findings include the importance of alliteration, phonetic vowel sounds, and syllable count. Tongue twisters often feature alliterative beginnings, where words start with the same sound. For example, “big bear” and “friendly frog” are considered alliterative because of the repeating initial sounds, despite not rhyming or sharing the same subsequent letters. Rhyme, while common in popular tongue twisters, is not essential for making a sentence phonetically challenging. The primary difficulty arises from the repetition of similar sounds. Additionally, the number of syllables in a word directly impacts its pronunciation difficulty. For example, “strength,” despite appearing long, has only one syllable, whereas “library,” with fewer letters, has three syllables. These insights will guide my efforts in generating tongue twisters with varying levels of difficulty.
I wanted to build on this newfound information further by conducting an exploration using a word list and seeing how the alliteration of words could impact their pronunciation:
I wanted to build on this newfound information further by conducting an exploration using a word list and seeing how the alliteration of words could impact their pronunciation:
In[]:=
heDictionary=Select[DictionaryLookup[],StringStartsQ[#,"he"]&]
Out[]=
{he,head,headache,headaches,headband,headbands,headbanger,headbangers,headbanging,headboard,headboards,headbutt,headbutted,headbutting,headbutts,headcase,headcases,headcheese,headcount,headcounts,headdress,headdresses,headed,header,headers,headfirst,headgear,headhunt,headhunted,headhunter,headhunters,headhunting,headhunts,headier,headiest,headily,headiness,heading,headings,headlamp,headlamps,headland,headlands,headless,headlight,headlights,headline,headlined,headliner,headliners,headlines,headlining,headlock,headlocks,headlong,headman,headmaster,headmasters,headmastership,headmen,headmistress,headmistresses,headnote,head-on,headphone,headphones,headpiece,headpieces,headpin,headpins,headquarter,headquartered,headquartering,headquarters,headrest,headrests,headroom,heads,headscarf,headscarves,headset,headsets,headship,headships,headshrinker,headshrinkers,headsman,headsmen,headstall,headstalls,headstand,headstands,headstock,headstone,headstones,headstrong,headteacher,headteachers,head-to-head,headwaiter,headwaiters,headwaters,headway,headwind,headwinds,headword,headwords,heady,heal,healed,healer,healers,healing,heals,health,healthful,healthfully,healthfulness,healthier,healthiest,healthily,healthiness,healths,healthy,heap,heaped,heaping,heaps,hear,heard,hearer,hearers,hearing,hearings,hearken,hearkened,hearkening,hearkens,hears,hearsay,hearse,hearsed,hearses,hearsing,heart,heartache,heartaches,heartbeat,heartbeats,heartbreak,heartbreaking,heartbreaks,heartbroke,heartbroken,heartburn,hearted,hearten,heartened,heartening,heartens,heartfelt,hearth,hearthrug,hearthrugs,hearths,hearthstone,hearthstones,heartier,hearties,heartiest,heartily,heartiness,hearting,heartland,heartlands,heartless,heartlessly,heartlessness,heartrending,heartrendingly,hearts,heartsick,heartsickness,heartstrings,heartthrob,heartthrobs,heartwarming,heartwood,hearty,heat,heated,heatedly,heater,heaters,heath,heathen,heathendom,heathenish,heathenism,heathens,heather,heathers,heathery,heathland,heaths,heating,heatproof,heats,heatstroke,heatwave,heatwaves,heave,heaved,heaven,heavenlier,heavenliest,heavenly,heavens,heavenward,heavenwards,heaver,heavers,heaves,heavier,heavies,heaviest,heavily,heaviness,heaving,heavy,heavyhearted,heavyset,heavyweight,heavyweights,heck,heckle,heckled,heckler,hecklers,heckles,heckling,hectare,hectares,hectic,hectically,hectics,hectogram,hectograms,hectoliters,hectometer,hectometers,hector,hectored,hectoring,hectors,he'd,hedge,hedged,hedgehog,hedgehogs,hedgehop,hedgehopped,hedgehopping,hedgehops,hedger,hedgerow,hedgerows,hedgers,hedges,hedging,hedonism,hedonist,hedonistic,hedonists,heed,heeded,heedful,heedfully,heeding,heedless,heedlessly,heedlessness,heeds,heehaw,heehawed,heehawing,heehaws,heel,heeled,heeling,heelless,heels,heft,hefted,heftier,heftiest,heftily,heftiness,hefting,hefts,hefty,hegemonic,hegemony,hegira,hegiras,heifer,heifers,height,heighten,heightened,heightening,heightens,heights,heinous,heinously,heinousness,heir,heiress,heiresses,heirloom,heirlooms,heirs,heist,heisted,heisting,heists,held,helical,helices,helicopter,helicoptered,helicoptering,helicopters,heliocentric,heliography,heliosphere,heliotrope,heliotropes,helipad,helipads,heliport,heliports,helium,helix,he'll,hell,hellbent,hellcat,hellcats,hellebore,helled,hellfire,hellhole,hellholes,helling,hellion,hellions,hellish,hellishly,hellishness,hello,hellos,hells,helluva,helm,helmet,helmeted,helmeting,helmets,helms,helmsman,helmsmen,helot,helots,help,helped,helper,helpers,helpful,helpfully,helpfulness,helping,helpings,helpless,helplessly,helplessness,helpline,helplines,helpmate,helpmates,helps,helve,helves,hem,hematite,hematologic,hematological,hematologist,hematologists,hematology,heme,hemisphere,hemispheres,hemispheric,hemispherical,hemline,hemlines,hemlock,hemlocks,hemmed,hemmer,hemmers,hemming,hemoglobin,hemophilia,hemophiliac,hemophiliacs,hemorrhage,hemorrhaged,hemorrhages,hemorrhagic,hemorrhaging,hemorrhoid,hemorrhoids,hemostat,hemostats,hemp,hempen,hems,hemstitch,hemstitched,hemstitches,hemstitching,hen,hence,henceforth,henceforward,hences,henchman,henchmen,henge,henna,hennaed,hennaing,hennas,henpeck,henpecked,henpecking,henpecks,hens,hep,heparin,hepatic,hepatics,hepatitis,hepper,heppest,heps,heptagon,heptagonal,heptagons,heptane,heptathlon,heptathlons,her,herald,heralded,heraldic,heralding,heraldry,heralds,herb,herbaceous,herbage,herbal,herbalism,herbalist,herbalists,herbals,herbicidal,herbicide,herbicides,herbivore,herbivores,herbivorous,herbs,herculean,herd,herded,herder,herders,herding,herds,herdsman,herdsmen,here,hereabout,hereabouts,hereafter,hereafters,hereby,hereditary,heredity,herein,hereinafter,hereof,hereon,here's,heresies,heresy,heretic,heretical,heretics,hereto,heretofore,hereunder,hereunto,hereupon,herewith,heritability,heritable,heritage,heritages,hermaphrodite,hermaphrodites,hermaphroditic,hermeneutic,hermeneutics,hermetic,hermetical,hermetically,hermetics,hermit,hermitage,hermitages,hermits,hernia,hernial,hernias,herniate,herniated,herniates,herniating,herniation,hero,heroes,heroic,heroically,heroics,heroin,heroine,heroines,heroins,heroism,heron,herons,herpes,herpetologist,herpetologists,herpetology,herring,herringbone,herringboned,herringbones,herringboning,herrings,hers,herself,hertz,he's,hes,hesitance,hesitancy,hesitant,hesitantly,hesitate,hesitated,hesitates,hesitating,hesitatingly,hesitation,hesitations,hessian,hetero,heterodox,heterodoxy,heterogeneity,heterogeneous,heterogeneously,heteros,heterosexual,heterosexuality,heterosexually,heterosexuals,heterostructure,heterostructures,heterozygous,heuristic,heuristically,heuristics,hew,hewed,hewer,hewers,hewing,hews,hex,hexadecimal,hexadecimals,hexagon,hexagonal,hexagons,hexagram,hexagrams,hexameter,hexameters,hexane,hexed,hexes,hexing,hey,heyday,heydays}
In[]:=
RandomChoice[heDictionary,6]
Out[]=
{hexagon,herbal,heater,hemisphere,hernia,headwords}
Although this example was straightforward, it revealed a significant challenge for my project: the discrepancies between phonetic and English spellings of words. I discovered that while words may begin with the same two letters, their pronunciation can vary greatly, which could potentially affect the effectiveness of my tongue twisters. Since tongue twisters emphasize sound over spelling, I recognized the critical role of phonetics in achieving the desired results. Consequently, I decided to prioritize phonetics as the central focus of my project.
Analysis of poem
Analysis of poem
Alliteration`
Alliteration`
In the initial stages of my project, I focused on identifying key areas of emphasis and determining which aspects were essential for its completion. To guide this process, I chose Richard Krogh’s poem “I take it you already know,” which delves into the complexities of English pronunciation and highlights the disconnect between word spellings and their actual pronunciation. I utilized the “WordData” function to convert this poem into phonetic notation, allowing for a detailed analysis of the sounds produced by each word. This phonetic transformation enabled me to create a dataset that categorized words based on their initial sounds, providing valuable insights into the concept of alliteration—a crucial component in developing effective tongue twisters.
In[]:=
poem1={"i","take","it","you","already","know","of","tough","and","bough","and","cough","and","dough","others","may","stumble","but","not","you","on","hiccough","thorough","lough","and","through","well","done","and","now","you","wish","perhaps","to","learn","of","less","familiar","traps","beware","of","heard","a","dreadful","word","that","looks","like","beard","and","sounds","like","bird","and","dead","its","said","like","bed","not","bead","for","goodness","sake","dont","call","it","deed","watch","out","for","meat","and","great","and","threat","they","rhyme","with","suite","and","straight","and","debt","a","moth","is","not","a","moth","in","mother","nor","both","in","bother","broth","in","brother","and","here","is","not","a","match","for","there","nor","dear","and","fear","for","bear","and","pear","and","then","theres","dose","and","rose","and","lose","just","look","them","up","and","goose","and","choose","and","cork","and","work","and","card","and","ward","and","font","and","front","and","word","and","sword","and","do","and","go","and","thwart","and","cart","come","come","ive","hardly","made","a","start","a","dreadful","language","man","alive","id","mastered","it","when","I","was","five"}
Out[]=
{i,take,it,you,already,know,of,tough,and,bough,and,cough,and,dough,others,may,stumble,but,not,you,on,hiccough,thorough,lough,and,through,well,done,and,now,you,wish,perhaps,to,learn,of,less,familiar,traps,beware,of,heard,a,dreadful,word,that,looks,like,beard,and,sounds,like,bird,and,dead,its,said,like,bed,not,bead,for,goodness,sake,dont,call,it,deed,watch,out,for,meat,and,great,and,threat,they,rhyme,with,suite,and,straight,and,debt,a,moth,is,not,a,moth,in,mother,nor,both,in,bother,broth,in,brother,and,here,is,not,a,match,for,there,nor,dear,and,fear,for,bear,and,pear,and,then,theres,dose,and,rose,and,lose,just,look,them,up,and,goose,and,choose,and,cork,and,work,and,card,and,ward,and,font,and,front,and,word,and,sword,and,do,and,go,and,thwart,and,cart,come,come,ive,hardly,made,a,start,a,dreadful,language,man,alive,id,mastered,it,when,I,was,five}
In[]:=
phoneticPoems=WordData[#,"PhoneticForm"]&/@poem1
Out[]=
ˈaɪ,tˈeɪk,ˈɪt,jˈu,ɔlrˈɛdi,nˈoʊ,ˈʌv,tˈʌf,ˈænd,bˈaʊ,ˈænd,kˈɒf,ˈænd,dˈoʊ,ˈʌðɝz,mˈeɪ,stˈʌmbəl,bˈʌt,nˈɒt,jˈu,ˈɒn,Missing[NotAvailable],θˈɝoʊ,lˈaʊ,ˈænd,θrˈu,wˈɛl,dˈʌn,ˈænd,nˈaʊ,jˈu,wˈɪʃ,pɝhˈæps,tˈu,lˈɝn,ˈʌv,lˈɛs,fəmˈɪljɝ,trˈæps,bəwˈɛr,ˈʌv,hˈɝd,ə,drˈɛdfəl,wˈɝd,ðˈæt,lˈʊks,lˈaɪk,bˈɪrd,ˈænd,sˈaʊndz,lˈaɪk,bˈɝd,ˈænd,dˈɛd,ˈɪts,sˈɛd,lˈaɪk,bˈɛd,nˈɒt,bˈid,fˈɔr,ɡˈʊdnəs,sˈeɪk,Missing[NotAvailable],kˈɔl,ˈɪt,dˈid,wˈɒtʃ,ˈaʊt,fˈɔr,mˈit,ˈænd,ɡrˈeɪt,ˈænd,θrˈɛt,ðˈeɪ,rˈaɪm,wˈɪð,swˈit,ˈænd,strˈeɪt,ˈænd,dˈɛt,ə,mˈɔθ,ˈɪz,nˈɒt,ə,mˈɔθ,ən,mˈʌðɝ,nˈɔr,bˈoʊθ,ən,bˈɒðɝ,brˈɔθ,ən,brˈʌðɝ,ˈænd,hˈɪr,ˈɪz,nˈɒt,ə,mˈætʃ,fˈɔr,ðˈɛr,nˈɔr,dˈɪr,ˈænd,fˈɪr,fˈɔr,bˈɛr,ˈænd,pˈɛr,ˈænd,ðˈɛn,Missing[NotAvailable],dˈoʊs,ˈænd,rˈoʊz,ˈænd,lˈuz,dʒˈʌst,lˈʊk,ðˈɛm,ˈʌp,ˈænd,ɡˈus,ˈænd,tʃˈuz,ˈænd,kˈɔrk,ˈænd,wˈɝk,ˈænd,kˈɒrd,ˈænd,wˈɔrd,ˈænd,fˈɒnt,ˈænd,frˈʌnt,ˈænd,wˈɝd,ˈænd,sˈɔrd,ˈænd,dˈu,ˈænd,ɡˈoʊ,ˈænd,θwˈɔrt,ˈænd,kˈɒrt,kˈʌm,kˈʌm,Missing[NotAvailable],hˈɒrdli,mˈeɪd,ə,stˈɒrt,ə,drˈɛdfəl,lˈæŋɡwədʒ,mˈæn,əlˈaɪv,ˈɪd,mˈæstɝd,ˈɪt,wˈɛn,Missing[NotAvailable],wˈɒz,fˈaɪv
Converting the poem into phonetic form using WordData.
In[]:=
listPhoneticPoems=List/@phoneticPoems
Out[]=
{ˈaɪ},{tˈeɪk},{ˈɪt},{jˈu},{ɔlrˈɛdi},{nˈoʊ},{ˈʌv},{tˈʌf},{ˈænd},{bˈaʊ},{ˈænd},{kˈɒf},{ˈænd},{dˈoʊ},{ˈʌðɝz},{mˈeɪ},{stˈʌmbəl},{bˈʌt},{nˈɒt},{jˈu},{ˈɒn},{Missing[NotAvailable]},{θˈɝoʊ},{lˈaʊ},{ˈænd},{θrˈu},{wˈɛl},{dˈʌn},{ˈænd},{nˈaʊ},{jˈu},{wˈɪʃ},pɝhˈæps,{tˈu},{lˈɝn},{ˈʌv},{lˈɛs},fəmˈɪljɝ,{trˈæps},{bəwˈɛr},{ˈʌv},{hˈɝd},{ə},{drˈɛdfəl},{wˈɝd},{ðˈæt},{lˈʊks},{lˈaɪk},{bˈɪrd},{ˈænd},{sˈaʊndz},{lˈaɪk},{bˈɝd},{ˈænd},{dˈɛd},{ˈɪts},{sˈɛd},{lˈaɪk},{bˈɛd},{nˈɒt},{bˈid},{fˈɔr},ɡˈʊdnəs,{sˈeɪk},{Missing[NotAvailable]},{kˈɔl},{ˈɪt},{dˈid},{wˈɒtʃ},{ˈaʊt},{fˈɔr},{mˈit},{ˈænd},ɡrˈeɪt,{ˈænd},{θrˈɛt},{ðˈeɪ},{rˈaɪm},{wˈɪð},{swˈit},{ˈænd},{strˈeɪt},{ˈænd},{dˈɛt},{ə},{mˈɔθ},{ˈɪz},{nˈɒt},{ə},{mˈɔθ},{ən},{mˈʌðɝ},{nˈɔr},{bˈoʊθ},{ən},{bˈɒðɝ},{brˈɔθ},{ən},{brˈʌðɝ},{ˈænd},{hˈɪr},{ˈɪz},{nˈɒt},{ə},{mˈætʃ},{fˈɔr},{ðˈɛr},{nˈɔr},{dˈɪr},{ˈænd},{fˈɪr},{fˈɔr},{bˈɛr},{ˈænd},pˈɛr,{ˈænd},{ðˈɛn},{Missing[NotAvailable]},{dˈoʊs},{ˈænd},{rˈoʊz},{ˈænd},{lˈuz},{dʒˈʌst},{lˈʊk},{ðˈɛm},{ˈʌp},{ˈænd},{ɡˈus},{ˈænd},{tʃˈuz},{ˈænd},{kˈɔrk},{ˈænd},{wˈɝk},{ˈænd},{kˈɒrd},{ˈænd},{wˈɔrd},{ˈænd},{fˈɒnt},{ˈænd},{frˈʌnt},{ˈænd},{wˈɝd},{ˈænd},{sˈɔrd},{ˈænd},{dˈu},{ˈænd},ɡˈoʊ,{ˈænd},{θwˈɔrt},{ˈænd},{kˈɒrt},{kˈʌm},{kˈʌm},{Missing[NotAvailable]},{hˈɒrdli},{mˈeɪd},{ə},{stˈɒrt},{ə},{drˈɛdfəl},lˈæŋɡwədʒ,{mˈæn},{əlˈaɪv},{ˈɪd},{mˈæstɝd},{ˈɪt},{wˈɛn},{Missing[NotAvailable]},{wˈɒz},{fˈaɪv}
Converting each word into a sublist.
In[]:=
deletedMissingPhoneticPoem=DeleteMissing[phoneticPoems]
Out[]=
ˈaɪ,tˈeɪk,ˈɪt,jˈu,ɔlrˈɛdi,nˈoʊ,ˈʌv,tˈʌf,ˈænd,bˈaʊ,ˈænd,kˈɒf,ˈænd,dˈoʊ,ˈʌðɝz,mˈeɪ,stˈʌmbəl,bˈʌt,nˈɒt,jˈu,ˈɒn,θˈɝoʊ,lˈaʊ,ˈænd,θrˈu,wˈɛl,dˈʌn,ˈænd,nˈaʊ,jˈu,wˈɪʃ,pɝhˈæps,tˈu,lˈɝn,ˈʌv,lˈɛs,fəmˈɪljɝ,trˈæps,bəwˈɛr,ˈʌv,hˈɝd,ə,drˈɛdfəl,wˈɝd,ðˈæt,lˈʊks,lˈaɪk,bˈɪrd,ˈænd,sˈaʊndz,lˈaɪk,bˈɝd,ˈænd,dˈɛd,ˈɪts,sˈɛd,lˈaɪk,bˈɛd,nˈɒt,bˈid,fˈɔr,ɡˈʊdnəs,sˈeɪk,kˈɔl,ˈɪt,dˈid,wˈɒtʃ,ˈaʊt,fˈɔr,mˈit,ˈænd,ɡrˈeɪt,ˈænd,θrˈɛt,ðˈeɪ,rˈaɪm,wˈɪð,swˈit,ˈænd,strˈeɪt,ˈænd,dˈɛt,ə,mˈɔθ,ˈɪz,nˈɒt,ə,mˈɔθ,ən,mˈʌðɝ,nˈɔr,bˈoʊθ,ən,bˈɒðɝ,brˈɔθ,ən,brˈʌðɝ,ˈænd,hˈɪr,ˈɪz,nˈɒt,ə,mˈætʃ,fˈɔr,ðˈɛr,nˈɔr,dˈɪr,ˈænd,fˈɪr,fˈɔr,bˈɛr,ˈænd,pˈɛr,ˈænd,ðˈɛn,dˈoʊs,ˈænd,rˈoʊz,ˈænd,lˈuz,dʒˈʌst,lˈʊk,ðˈɛm,ˈʌp,ˈænd,ɡˈus,ˈænd,tʃˈuz,ˈænd,kˈɔrk,ˈænd,wˈɝk,ˈænd,kˈɒrd,ˈænd,wˈɔrd,ˈænd,fˈɒnt,ˈænd,frˈʌnt,ˈænd,wˈɝd,ˈænd,sˈɔrd,ˈænd,dˈu,ˈænd,ɡˈoʊ,ˈænd,θwˈɔrt,ˈænd,kˈɒrt,kˈʌm,kˈʌm,hˈɒrdli,mˈeɪd,ə,stˈɒrt,ə,drˈɛdfəl,lˈæŋɡwədʒ,mˈæn,əlˈaɪv,ˈɪd,mˈæstɝd,ˈɪt,wˈɛn,wˈɒz,fˈaɪv
In[]:=
listPhoneticNewPoems=List/@deletedMissingPhoneticPoem
Deleting the missing values [the words that were unable to be converted into phonetic form.]
Separating each word into characters to make it easier to take the beginning sound.
Applied the “quiet” function as some sublists only have 1 term.
The final dataset I compiled provided a clear visualization of both the English and phonetic spellings of words. It allowed me to observe and understand the distinctions between these spellings, particularly in how they group similar sounding words together. This insight identified the importance of alliteration in my project. Recognizing these patterns has affirmed that alliteration will be a fundamental element in the creation of effective tongue twisters.
Rhyming words
Rhyming words
Having explored the alliteration aspect, my focus shifted to another key property of tongue twisters: rhyme. Understanding rhyme in English proved to be nuanced, lacking a singular definition. To simplify this complexity, I conducted research and gained insights into how words rhyme based on sharing the same stressed syllable at the end. Determining a stressed syllable involves several methods: identifying a phonetic vowel following a consonant, where the stressed vowel takes everything after it. In cases with two phonetic vowels, the entire sound includes the first vowel, the second vowel, and subsequent letters. Additionally, the “’” symbol denotes stress; words containing an apostrophe have their stressed syllable starting immediately after it. This understanding guided the creation of a function to identify rhyme, ensuring clarity and precision in analyzing rhyming patterns for effective tongue twisters.
Around this time, I encountered a significant challenge: certain characters in the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) were identified as binary rather than text functions, preventing them from working with standard string functions. To combat this issue I had to utilize a “replace all” function to substitute these non-functional characters. This approach allowed me to effectively manage and process the IPA data for my project.
Replacing the non-working characters from the phonetic alphabet.
Replacing the non-working characters from the phonetic alphabet.
Generated a word list of phonetic words using WordData, deleted the missing characters and replaced any characters that were causing errors with my code.
Final rhyme function
Final rhyme function
With the information I’ve gathered, I created an effective rhyme generator. By focusing on each word’s phonetic ending (its last stressed syllable), I was able to categorize words based on these phonetic endings. Using the wordlist function, I generated a list of common words, then broke them down into characters for replacement. I then established an association thread to match each phonetic word with its original English word. This approach allowed me to generate a comprehensive list of rhyming words efficiently.
Created a list of common words.
Removed the words that do not having phonetic translations.
Creating a which function which identifies whether or not a word contains an apostrophe, vowel-vowel or consonant-vowel combination and drops the beginning portion of the word.
This function selects words in our wordlist that end in the same last syllable as the one generated in the lastSyllablefin function, it then joins the individual characters and generates a list of words that adhere to the criteria specified.
This is an altered version of the rhyme function that can take a word input rather than generate a random word.
Counting syllables
Counting syllables
My next step was to define a function to count the number of syllables in each word, which adds rhythm to the tongue twister, making it more challenging to pronounce . I used a function from the repository called "WordPhoneticSyllabify" that organizes each phonetic word into syllables . By identifying the syllable marker (the circle symbol) and adding one to the count (since a word with one syllable would have zero circles), I could determine the total number of syllables . Then, using an association thread, I matched the phonetic words back to their original English forms, creating a comprehensive list of words with the same number of syllables .
The phoneticLst returns a list of lists with the individual words from Wolfram’s WordData and the corresponding phonetic spelling of each word. Next, we use an association function to match each phonetic spelling with it’s normal English spelling. It then uses the associate pairs resource functions and selects the words from the list with the same amount of syllables.
Phonetic Vowels
Phonetic Vowels
The final function involved identifying phonetic vowels, a particularly challenging task due to its broader scope compared to the more specific objectives of the rhyme and syllable functions. For this function, I aimed to find words that shared the same phonetic vowels or sounds, whether all the vowels matched or just one, regardless of their positions within the words. Using my cleaned word list, I utilized the Select and String Replace functions to identify the vowels, generating a list of words that contained the same vowel sounds.
This function uses WordData to generate a phonetic word, and ContainsAny to see if any of the vowels in the list are present in the word.
This selects the words in the list that contain the same vowels as the word in wordVowels,
The final function takes a random word and applies the functions above.
Alliteration function
Alliteration function
I proceeded to create my alliteration function with a slight different objective from the one mentioned earlier. Unlike the previous approach, which relied on specific lists or words as inputs, this new function randomly highlighted words. This design choice not only maintained a broader applicability but also ensured versatility for the dynamic module I intended to develop in subsequent stages of the project.
The select and take function, takes the first 2 letters in each of my sublists. Next, I apply this to my newTmp list and select the ones with the same first 2 letters. The final function utilizes a random word.
Dynamic Module
Dynamic Module
This dynamic module is my final product. It allows you to input a word and apply various conditions to it. You can select one, two, or all of the conditions. The module filters out common words and those with phonetic translations, as these are the only ones compatible with each function.
Conclusion
Conclusion
To conclude, at the end of my project, I not only created an accessible user interface that accepts a word and applies functions such as alliteration, syllable count, and finding other rhyming words, but I also conducted thorough research on the world of tongue twisters, phonetics, and literary features. My project allowed me to delve deeper into the English language, exploring how pronunciation, spelling, and certain syllable structures work together to create interesting combinations and tongue twisters.
Through this journey, I gained a comprehensive understanding of how these elements interact to form unique linguistic patterns. The research aspect of my project involved analyzing various tongue twisters, studying phonetic patterns, and identifying key literary features that contribute to the complexity and charm of these phrases. By integrating these insights into my dynamic module, I developed a tool that not only performs specific linguistic functions but also serves as a resource for those interested in the analysis of words in the English language.
This project has been an enlightening experience, enhancing my appreciation for the nuances of the language and its creative potential. The intersection of technology, patterns and linguistics in this endeavor has opened new avenues for exploration, and I look forward to continuing this work in the future, further refining my module and expanding its capabilities.
Through this journey, I gained a comprehensive understanding of how these elements interact to form unique linguistic patterns. The research aspect of my project involved analyzing various tongue twisters, studying phonetic patterns, and identifying key literary features that contribute to the complexity and charm of these phrases. By integrating these insights into my dynamic module, I developed a tool that not only performs specific linguistic functions but also serves as a resource for those interested in the analysis of words in the English language.
This project has been an enlightening experience, enhancing my appreciation for the nuances of the language and its creative potential. The intersection of technology, patterns and linguistics in this endeavor has opened new avenues for exploration, and I look forward to continuing this work in the future, further refining my module and expanding its capabilities.
Further Explorations
Further Explorations
For my future explorations, I aim to develop a more advanced user interface that allows users to select multiple functions to apply to a randomly generated word. This interface will simplify the process for users, enabling them to choose from a wider variety of functions, providing a versatile tool for various linguistic and creative tasks. Additionally, I plan to introduce more parameters to enhance the tool’s functionality. By expanding beyond tongue twisters, I intend to incorporate a broader range of literary forms, including poems, prose, and more. This expansion will allow users to generate content with specific phonetic and rhythmic characteristics, opening up new possibilities for creative writing and linguistic experimentation. I look forward to continuing this project and exploring its potential applications in different literary contexts, ultimately creating a comprehensive and user-friendly tool for both casual and professional users.
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements
I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to my mentor, CJ, without whom this project would have been impossible. Your guidance and support have been invaluable. Additionally, I offer an exceptional thank you to Nora and the other TA’s, who assisted me at every step of the process. This project wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication and help from all of you.
Citations and References
Citations and References
1. T.S. (2022). Place, Manner, and Voicing in Speech. [online] The Speech Guide. Available at: https://thespeechguide.com/place-manner-voice-chart/ [Accessed 1 Jul. 2024].
home.cc.umanitoba.ca. (n.d.). IPA symbols for English vowels. [online] Available at: https://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~krussll/phonetics/transcription/english-symbols/vowels.html [Accessed 3 Jul. 2024].
2. Poems showing the absurdities of English spelling. (n.d.). Available at: https://www.spellingsociety.org/uploaded_misc/poems-online-misc-1419940069.pdf [Accessed 30 Jun. 2024].
tongue.obdurodon.org. (n.d.). Tongue Twisters: How To. [online] Available at: http://tongue.obdurodon.org/how_to.html [Accessed 30 Jun. 2024].Wikipedia Contributors (2019). Phonetics. [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonetics [Accessed 2 Jul. 2024].
3. Wolfram.com. (2024). Text Manipulation—Wolfram Language Documentation. [online] Available at: https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/ProcessingTextualData.html [Accessed 5 Jul. 2024].Wolframcloud.com. (2021).
4. WordPhoneticSyllabify | Wolfram Function Repository. [online] Available at: https://resources.wolframcloud.com/FunctionRepository/resources/WordPhoneticSyllabify/?i=WordPhoneticSyllabify&searchapi=https%3A%2F%2Fresources.wolframcloud.com%2FFunctionRepository%2Fsearch [Accessed 3 Jul. 2024].
home.cc.umanitoba.ca. (n.d.). IPA symbols for English vowels. [online] Available at: https://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~krussll/phonetics/transcription/english-symbols/vowels.html [Accessed 3 Jul. 2024].
2. Poems showing the absurdities of English spelling. (n.d.). Available at: https://www.spellingsociety.org/uploaded_misc/poems-online-misc-1419940069.pdf [Accessed 30 Jun. 2024].
tongue.obdurodon.org. (n.d.). Tongue Twisters: How To. [online] Available at: http://tongue.obdurodon.org/how_to.html [Accessed 30 Jun. 2024].Wikipedia Contributors (2019). Phonetics. [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonetics [Accessed 2 Jul. 2024].
3. Wolfram.com. (2024). Text Manipulation—Wolfram Language Documentation. [online] Available at: https://reference.wolfram.com/language/guide/ProcessingTextualData.html [Accessed 5 Jul. 2024].Wolframcloud.com. (2021).
4. WordPhoneticSyllabify | Wolfram Function Repository. [online] Available at: https://resources.wolframcloud.com/FunctionRepository/resources/WordPhoneticSyllabify/?i=WordPhoneticSyllabify&searchapi=https%3A%2F%2Fresources.wolframcloud.com%2FFunctionRepository%2Fsearch [Accessed 3 Jul. 2024].
CITE THIS NOTEBOOK
CITE THIS NOTEBOOK
Generating tongue twisters - An exploration into phonetics
by Sonam Jha
Wolfram Community, STAFF PICKS, July 11, 2024
https://community.wolfram.com/groups/-/m/t/3217812
by Sonam Jha
Wolfram Community, STAFF PICKS, July 11, 2024
https://community.wolfram.com/groups/-/m/t/3217812