Studies of listeners' ability to distinguish languages when segmental information is eliminated have been taken as evidence for categorical rhythmic distinctions between language groups ("rhythm classes"). Furthermore, it has been suggested that sensitivity to rhythm class is present at birth and that infants must establish the rhythm class of…

Speakers employ acoustic cues (pitch accents) to indicate that a word is important, but may also use visual cues (beat gestures, head nods, eyebrow movements) for this purpose. Even though these acoustic and visual cues are related, the exact nature of this relationship is far from well understood. We investigate whether producing a visual beat…