Accelerated Speech

Audio output played at faster than normal speaking rate, commonly used by people with visual impairments when interacting with screen readers and other audio-based assistive technologies. Research shows that experienced screen reader users can comprehend speech at up to 500 words per minute — roughly three times the average speaking rate of 150 words per minute. While acceleration improves efficiency, it can degrade the perception of prosodic cues such as tone, emotion, and speaker confidence, which has implications for how AI-based assistive tools communicate the certainty of their outputs.