Yi Xu 
Professor of Speech Sciences
Human Communication Sciences, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, UK
My research is primarily concerned with the basic mechanisms of speech production and perception in connected discourse, especially in terms of how multiple layers of communicative meanings can be encoded through a common process of articulation. In particular, I am interested in the production, perception, typology, and modeling and synthesis of speech prosody, as well as the basic mechanisms of coarticulation. I am also concerned with computational modeling of the neural process of speech acquisition. More recently, I have developed an interest in the understanding of emotional expressions in speech from an evolutionary perspective.
- Xu, Y. (2026). 对语调研究历史的回顾与综述 [Review and Synthesis of the History of Intonation Research]. 苏州工学院学报 [Journal of Suzhou University of Technology] (4): 36-60.
- Xu, A., Niekerk, D. v., Gerazov, B., Krug, P. K., Prom-on, S., Birkholz, P. and Xu, Y. (2025). Learnability of English diphthongs: One dynamic target vs. two static targets. Speech Communication.
- Xu, Y. (2025). Syllable as a synchronization mechanism that makes human speech possible. Brain Sciences 15(33): doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15010033.
- Kang, W. and Xu, Yi. (2024) Tone-syllable synchrony in Mandarin: New evidence and implications. Speech Communication 163: 103121.
- PENTA_demo — An interactive demo of the parallel encoding and target approximation (PENTA) model of tone and intonation
- PENTAtrainer — A set of Praat scripts for automatic analysis and synthesis of intonation based on the PENTA model
- FormantPro — A Praat script for large-scale systematic analysis of continuous formant movements
- qTAtrainer — A Praat script for automatic analysis, synthesis and manipulation of intonation based on the Target Approximation model