The purpose of this text is to teach speech analysis and synthesis through user-computer interaction. This text provides a means to study the features and properties of speech as a signal without having to record data and write software to analyze the data. An extensive speech database is provided on the accompanying CD-ROMs along with various software programs to analyze the data including a run-time version of MATLAB which allows the data to be used without purchasing MATLAB separately.

The text also provides the theoretical basis of underlying the software algorithms used for speech analysis and synthesis. The goal of this approach is to strike a balance between theory and practice, thereby aiding the student's understanding of the basic concepts, assumptions, and limitations of the theory of speech analysis and synthesis.