THE RESEARCH PLAN
Objective: Explore the syllable as a fundamental unit of representation. Gain an understanding of the benefits and the difficulties of using syllables.

Approach: All research based on Entropic's HTK system, using a limited set of recognition techniques:

• Context Independent syllable models

• Bi-gram language model

• No cross-word modeling

• No speaker adaptation/MLLR

• No VTL normalization

Baselines: Use standard baseline systems, created prior to the start of the workshop, to calibrate the performance of syllable-based systems and to measure progress.

• A context-independent (monophone) HMM system

• A context-dependent (word-internal triphone) HMM system