System and method for accented modification of a language model

1. A method for customizing a language model for accented speakers, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying an accent;

determining pronunciation differences between the identified accent and the language model;

selecting a first subset of the pronunciation differences based on a first set of pre-determined criteria;

listing a first set of instantiations based on said first subset and compiling an accent speech word list from the first set of instantiations based on a second set of pre-determined criteria;

determining accent-specific pronunciations corresponding to words in the accent speech word list; and

applying the accented speech word list and the accent-specific pronunciations to the language model.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second set of pre-determined criteria includes at least one of word frequency, pronunciation intrusions, and word length.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein pronunciation intrusions are based on a third set of pre-determined criteria.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second set of pre-determined criteria includes pronunciation intrusion wherein intruding and intruded-upon words may be distinguished by means other than pronunciation.

5. A method for modifying a language model, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying accented speech pronunciations of words of a language;

identifying pronunciation differences between customary speech pronunciations and the accented speech pronunciations;

identifying, for each of said pronunciation differences, a first list of words in the language model that instantiate said pronunciation differences;

selectively adding the first list of words and their accented speech pronunciations to an accented speech file;

selectively reducing the first list to a second list of words that are most frequently used in the language model;

selectively adding the second list of words and their accented speech pronunciations to the accented speech file;

selectively reducing the second list to a third list of words, wherein said third list includes words that intrude on other words if they are not given accented speech pronunciations;

selectively adding the third list of words and their accented speech pronunciations to the accented speech file;

selectively reducing the third list to a forth list of short words;

selectively adding the fourth list of words and their accented speech pronunciations to the accented speech file;

selectively reducing the fourth list to a fifth list of words with unrecognizable accented speech pronunciations;

selectively adding the fifth list of words and their accented speech pronunciations to the accented speech file; and

modifying the language model according to the accented speech file.