Stress, Rhythm, & Intonation in Spoken English

Stress, Rhythm, & Intonation

in Spoken English

Teaching English in EnglishINCHEON EDUCATION TRAINING INSTITUTE

STUDIES IN AMERICAN LANGUAGE

SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITYSpring 2010

Elizabeth Beacham

Review of TerminologyStress

◦The linguistic means of making a syllable more “prominent”

Review of TerminologyStress

◦The linguistic means of making a syllable more “prominent”

◦This is done by changing the1. ________2. ________3. ________

of the vowel in the stressed syllable

Review of TerminologyStress

◦The linguistic means of making a syllable more “prominent”

◦This is done by changing the1. Pitch2. Length3. Volume

of the vowel in the stressed syllable

Review of TerminologyRhythm

◦*At the phrase or sentence level*◦Patterns of stressed and unstressed

syllables that create the “music” or “melody” of a language

Review of TerminologyRhythm

◦*At the phrase or sentence level*◦Patterns of stressed and unstressed

syllables that create the “music” or “melody” of a language

The workers are going on strike tomorrow.

Review of TerminologyRhythm

◦*At the phrase or sentence level*◦Patterns of stressed and unstressed

syllables that create the “music” or “melody” of a language

The WORkers are GOing on STRIKE toMORrow.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

Review of TerminologyRhythm

The WORkers are GOing on STRIKE toMORrow.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

** When determining the rhythm of an English utterance, look first for the content words—they are usually the words that will contain the “beats” in the rhythm. **

Review of TerminologyRhythm

◦ In the utterance below: How many syllables total? _____ How many “beats”? ____

“She would’ve liked to have gone to the movie.”

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _◦ :

“

◦ “◦ “

Review of TerminologyRhythm

◦ In the utterance below: How many syllables total? Eleven How many “beats”? Three

“She would’ve liked to have gone to the movie.”

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _◦ Content words:

“Liked” (verb) / “Gone” (verb) / “Movie” (noun)

◦ “She” = unstressed because it is a pronoun◦ “would’ve” = unstressed because it is a modal verb

Review of Terminology

“She would’ve liked to have gone to the movie.”

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

/ʃiy wʊdəv layk tuw həv gɑn tə ðə muwviy/

Review of TerminologyIntonation

◦*At the sentence level* Patterns of pitch changes and variations

within a phrase or utterance Often conveys the speaker’s mood, intentions,

attitude The variations still follow rhythm patterns

(stressed syllables are the ones that receive the pitch changes—overall pitch changes made in relation to the other pitches in the whole phrase or utterance)

Are you ready yet?

You can’t be serious!

Review of TerminologyRhythm & Contrastive StressThink about the context of the

utterance—what words are probably the most “important” to the speaker? They will likely carry the “beats.” These may sometimes be function words:◦A: “Are you going to the theatre?”◦B: “No, I’m coming from the

theatre.”

Contrastive StressI did not say you stole my

red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

Contrastive StressI did not say you stole my

red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

(She said you did.)

Contrastive StressI did not say you stole my

red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

(She said you did.)

(I completely, strongly deny it.)

Contrastive StressI did not say you stole my

red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

(She said you did.)

(I completely, strongly deny it.)

(I implied it.)

Contrastive StressI did not say you stole my

red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

(She said you did.)

(I completely, strongly deny it.)

(I implied it.)

(I said she stole it.)

Contrastive StressI did not say you stole my

red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

(She said you did.)

(I completely, strongly deny it.)

(I implied it.)

(I said she stole it.)

(I said you borrowed it.)

Contrastive StressI did not say you stole my

red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

(She said you did.)

(I completely, strongly deny it.)

(I implied it.)

(I said she stole it.)

(I said you borrowed it.)

(I said you stole her red hat.)

Contrastive StressI did not say you stole my

red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

(She said you did.)

(I completely, strongly deny it.)

(I implied it.)

(I said she stole it.)

(I said you borrowed it.)

(I said you stole her red hat.)

(I said you stole my blue one.)

Contrastive StressI did not say you stole my

red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

I did not say you stole my red hat.

(She said you did.)

(I completely, strongly deny it.)

(I implied it.)

(I said she stole it.)

(I said you borrowed it.)

(I said you stole her red hat.)

(I said you stole my blue one.)

(I said you stole my red bat.)