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The article presents an experimental study of the location of rhythmic stress beats in English. The responses and response latencies (reaction times) relative to the audible click were recorded automatically by the computer and stored for later processing. The ballistic pulses of stressed syllables are probably the fundamental events around which the speaker organizes the rhythm of his speech. The listener then perceives these rhythmic beats, and thereby decodes the rhythmic structure, either directly from the acoustic cues of amplitude and spectral change or indirectly from kinesthetic-like feelings about the internally generated signals by means of which he perceives the speech.

Discusses sequential temporal patterns and cognitive processes in speech. Structure of the successive speech and silence durations in spontaneous speech; Analysis of cognitive rhythm; Capability of the spontaneous speech in exhibiting a rhythmic structure.