This document describes the process by which the SpeechMark syllabic cluster analysis operates to group previously computed landmarks. The grouping algorithms were developed to deal with English-focused infant speech including babble—that is, speech whose intended lexical content is unknown (if it exists).
Sequences that would be transcribed as an infant attempt at a speech syllabic cluster were identified, and empirical rules for separating these from the speech stream and from each other were developed based on landmark sequences and timing.
It is important to remember that the syllabic cluster rules so developed are sensitive only to the speech AS UTTERED. They may or may not match syllabic clusters of speech as analyzed by transcription.