Intonation

Intonation is the melody of speech. In studying intonation we study

how the pitch of the voice rises and falls, and how speakers use
this pitch variation to convey linguistic and pragmatic meaning.

It also involves the study of the rhythm of speech, and (in English,
at any rate) the study of how the interplay of accented, stressed
and unstressed syllables functions as a framework onto which the
intonation patterns are attached.
 Intonation

E1.1.1 Listen to the following sentences spoken (i) normally and (ii)
strictly on a monotone (= the pitch of the voice stays level, not going up
and not going down). Repeat them aloud in the same way.

I can’t stand it
What do I do now?
O Lord, | open thou our lips
Are you ready to answer?
Silly old fool!

What do these sound like when spoken on a monotone? Would they ever
be said like this in real life? (Singing? Chanted in a church service? In
conversation, with some special meaning?)
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E1.1.2 Pitch awareness exercise

Listen to the syllable “ma” said with high pitch (¯ma) and then with low

pitch ( _ma). Imitate. Learn to produce high or low pitch at will.

¯ma ¯ma ¯ma _ma _ma _ma

_ma ¯ma ¯ma _ma _ma ¯ma

E1.1.3 Repeat E1.1.2, but with English words

¯mine _mine _mine ¯mine

_mine

_yours ¯yours ¯yours _yours _yours

 Intonation
The prosodic (or suprasegmental) characteristics of speech are
those of
pitch
loudness
speed

These combine together to make up the rhythm of speech, and are

combined in turn with stretches of silence (pause) to break up the
flow of speech.
 Intonation
Tone is another prosodic characteristic, being realized mainly by
differences in the pitch of the voice, e.g.

high level pitch (relatively rapid vibration of the vocal folds in the larynx)

mid level pitch (the vocal folds vibrate at a constant rate)

low level pitch (relatively slow vibration of the vocal folds in the larynx)

An acceleration in the rate of vibration is heard as a rising pitch

A slowing down in the rate of vibration heard as a falling pitch

 Intonation
E1.2.1 Practise making and hearing sequences of high and low level tones

¯ma _ma _ma¯ma _ma¯ma _ma ¯ma _ma¯ma ¯ma¯ma _ma

_one¯two ¯one¯two _one _two _one¯two¯one ¯one _two¯one

E1.2.2 Practise hearing and produce falling and rising tones, in which there is a
change of pitch on a single syllable.

↘ma ↗ ma ↘ma↘ma ↗ ma↗ ma ↘ma↗ ma

↗ ma↘ma

↘mine ↗ mine ↗ mine ↘mine ↗un↘known ↘un↗known

Source: Wells, J.C. (2006). English Intonation: An Introduction.
Cambridge University Press: U.K.