Different functions of intonation in English
There are quite a few theories that attempt to explain what intonation does and how it is used in English. Let us take a look at two of its main functions:
Attitudinal
In many spoken languages around the world – but especially in British English – it is easy for the listener to understand the speaker's attitude: boredom, interest, surprise, anger, appreciation, happiness, and so on, are often evident in their intonation.
Grammatical
There are some intonation patterns in English, which, for the most part, correspond to the use of particular grammar structures. The most common example is in the use of wh-questions (questions beginning with 'who', 'what', 'why', 'where', 'when', 'which', and 'how'), which usually have a falling intonation.
So what are common types and rules of intonation?
The most common types of Intonation we have in English are the following:
- Falling intonation
- Rising intonation
- Falling–rising intonation
- Rising–falling intonation
Falling Intonation
One of the most common intonation patterns in the English language is the rules of falling intonation.
Pleased to meet ↓you.
Mom wants to buy that ↓bag.
This is when the pitch of the voice falls at the end of a sentence. We commonly use them in statements, commands, WH-questions, confirmatory question tags, and exclamations.
Rising Intonation
Another intonation marking used in the English language is the rules of rising intonation.
This is when the pitch of the voice rises at the end of the sentence. It is commonly used in yes or no questions, and question tags that show uncertainty.
You’re new here, aren’t ↑you?
He prefers the beach, doesn’t ↑he ?
Rising-Falling Intonation
We do not only use rising or falling intonations alone, but we can likewise use a combination of both. Consider the rules of rising-falling intonation.
This is generally used for giving out a list, a set of choices, partial and conditional statements.
She bought some ↑bread, ↑meat, ↑pasta, and ↓apples.
Falling-rising intonation
Finally, one of the familiar rules of intonation is the usage of the falling–rising intonation within a word. This is often used when the speaker is uncertain of an answer to a question or shows reluctance.
Should we ↓report this incident?
Why learn the Rules of Intonation?
, Unlike other languages, the English language follows several rules of Intonation. We use a different intonation in every different situation in English. And while other people don’t give so much importance to the rules, having the right intonation helps us sound clearer and more natural.
Tips on Practicing English Intonation
1-Shadow read with a video. Shadow reading is when you read along with a video or audio clip.
2-Mark up your text. Make markings on the text that show where your pitch should rise and fall.
3-Exaggerate. Practice your intonation by exaggerating it, which means making it much bigger than it should be.
4-Use a pitch detector. A pitch detector like the one on getting Instinct is usually used for tuning musical instruments
5-Try different intonations. Choose one sentence and say it in many different ways.
Speak American English clearly using pitch emphasis
When speaking American English, you simply can’t say every word with the same pitch.
What you need to do
In order to speak clearly, you need to stress the most important words.
Stress nouns & verbs more than other words
We tend to stress nouns and verbs the most. That’s because nouns and verbs are critical to the meaning of most messages.
Words we don’t stress
We usually don’t stress little words such as:
the
it
What happens if you don’t use pitch emphasis when you speak?
1-Your speech will sound monotonous to your listeners because they can’t hear any pitch.
2-Your listeners won’t know which words to pay attention to.
3-Your listeners will have to concentrate extra hard to understand you.
4-They’ll get tired of listening to you, and they’ll give up, or tune you out.
Help your listeners to understand you
If you want to speak American English clearly you must learn to use pitch emphasis correctly.
Doing this will help native speakers to easily understand you.