It is especially important to learn English vocabulary and grammar. However, knowing the grammar does not help in saying the sentence with stress and intonation; otherwise, it sounds awkward and unclear. Intonation and stress are the music of language that native speakers have when communicating ideas, emotions, and intentions.
In this article, we will consider the ways in which intonation and stress in the English language function and how you can work on these aspects to improve your quality and expressiveness.
What is Intonation?
When we talk about intonation, we refer to the upwards and downward movement of the voice during speech. It's one of the essential features of the communication in English as it helps convey more than just the simple words that are being spoken. It conveys emotion, adds meaning, attitude and even has the ability to alter the context of a particular phrase based on its application.
For example, consider a situation where you want to indicate several sentences.
- You are going to the party. (Tends to be an obvious statement)
- You are going to the party? (This sounds like a question)
- You are going to the party?! (the speaker cannot believe it)
In every possible sentence, the words contained therein are identical but their intonation has a different sound meaning and we can also consider it from world view perspective.
The Three Types of Intonation Used in Speech
- Rising Intonation: The highest voice pitch has an upward movement. This is usually the case with yes/no questions.
- Example: Are you going?
- Falling Intonation: The highest pitch drops, a feature of assertions as well "wh" type questions who, what, where, when, why, how.
- Example: He is going to London.
- Example: When does the train depart?
- Fall-Rise Intonation: Voice in this case falls then rises. This may express doubt, related to a certain degree of politeness, or simply surprise for unknown reasons.
- Example: I thought you didn't like ice cream… (implying a question of doubt).
The Intonation And Its Relation to the Communication Context
Emphasis is not the end of intonation, it can also be used to interpret meaning. In English, intonation can serve to signal whether the statement that was made is a question, or a claim, highlight an important part of a sentence, and so forth.
Statement vs. question
The functional phrases however illustrate how intonation is able to change Yes/No Statements to Yes/No Questions. For example:
- You're going. (lowering intonation, speaker is asserting a fact.)
- You're going? (raising intonation, asking for reassurance).
In both cases, intonation is the only distinguishing feature, as words are not altered and stay the same. If a learner attempts to pose a question and uses descending intonation, it is possible that the learner is extending a relative but "appearing" as an interrogative which is erroneous.
The "Implied Question"
Intonation is a tool that helps English speaking persons express a particular intention without asking a question. Consider:
- You're going to the meeting today. (lowering intonation conveys that this is a fact.)
- You're going to the meeting today? (fall rise intonation that depicts incredulousness or doubt and playwright for more information)
Similarly, learners who do understand these times of intonation are doing this overriding the urge of the overstatement that sounds too direct or even harsh.
Understanding Word Stress
Word stress is defining which one of the syllables in a word is regarded as more emphatic than the others. Take, for example, the word record, the accentuated first syllable (RE-cord) makes the word a noun in the context of sound recording. If the second syllable (re-CORD) is the 'emotion,' then the word is used in the context of a 'verb' which is a recording.
There are several learners who have not realized how word stress can help with clarity of communication. When stress is misplaced, even if every word is pronounced correctly, it has the potential of getting listeners confused.
How to Mark the Word Stress in Sounds
In many dictionaries, the word stress is usually represented with an apostrophe that appears just before the vowel for which syllable the stress comes, such as in the word attention /əˈtɛnʃən/ where the second syllable –tion is stressed.
Below are a few tips on word stress:
- Two syllable nouns and adjectives: the more stressed syllable is the first.
- Example: TAble, PREtty
- Two syllable verbs and prepositions: the second syllable tends to be more stressed.
- Example: to reLAX, to aRRIVE
Although these rules apply most of the time, many exceptions are noted in English so it is prudent to learn the appropriate stress forms when coming across new vocabulary.
Sentence Stress: wave patterns in the form of prosody
Sentence stress involves the individual drawing attention to certain words within a sentence for the sake of enhancing its meaning or relaying the most pertinent information. In the English language, and pompous denotes a stress on content words (nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs) whilst function words (prepositions, articles, auxiliary verbs) are unconcerned with stress and are usually left unstressed.
In the following example:
I'm GOING to the STORE to BUY some MILK. In this case, main pieces of information (going, store, buy, milk) are under stress, while other less important words (I'm, to, the, some) are all unstressed.
Stress for Emphasis
There are different ways to put sentence stress depending on the context of the situation that one wants to focus on more:
- I didn't say he stole the money (focus on didn't, some other person probably said it)
- I didn't say he stole the money (focus on he, someone else could have stolen it)
- I didn't say he stole the money. (focus on money, maybe something else was stolen)
The meaning that a sentence has will, in many cases, depend on the word which is stressed and thus pronouncing the correct word will convey the needed message. Never the less some speakers that might have a different primary language sometimes get confused and stress the word of the sentence wrongly. As a result, the listener can have an incorrect understanding of the content of the message/speech.
Intonation in different types of speech
Declarative Sentences
Typically, sentences that have some form of general statement or a declaration; falling intonation is the norm in English-speaking countries. For example:
- I'm going to the store.
- She lives in Paris.
It follows that this type of intonation creates a feeling of completeness and conclusive nature of the uttered sentence. Extreme cases involve learners using a rising intonation in these cases when they are not asking a question or confirming something. Most of these cases usually attract widespread criticism as it means a lack of control and understanding of the second language.
Yes/No Questions
More often than not when yes/no questions are asked more often than not a rising intonation goes hand in hand most especially in informal speech.
- Do you reside here?
- Is she coming along with us?
But, when talking about some obscene aspects of linguistic behaviour such as in formal situation of some yes no questions they do use a falling intonation as it sounds polite or less direct: A falling intonation sound how the appropriate way to say it sometimes is, may I borrow your pen?
Words that begin with 'wh' – Questions.
- Where do you plan on going?
- What was it that you said?
In English both yes and no questions are similar in intonation yes I am, how wonderful, and the response is not admiration, although both forms of the questions would sound more different than the rest.
Authoritative voice or command in linguistics.
Somebody can tell you precisely what to do whom to stop talking or to close the door permanently if they want…and they will say stop or close the door in an imperative manner and anyhow prepositions won't save anybody from that something strong.
Something very strong or dire.
…So Young lady would you mind passing me the salt would sound more direct than normal bland and humble.
Practical exercises: how to develop intonation and stress overriding muscle memory.
It is easier to theorize stress patterns and intonations than to begin to pour into practice and get results. And such practices include shadowing and repetition in the beginning.
Unique or rather effective teaching style.
Even the word itself means to smarter than you are shadowing and there are no mistakes in that range – a "native" speaker will say, and A recording is a simple repetition of what you listen.
Repetition
Repetition is good for reinforcing stress placement and intonation. Take a sentence for example, I didn't say he stole the money, and repeat it different times placing stress on a different word. Record that such things, listen to your performing and the text of your recordings to see how this certain stress "changes" your utterance.
Listening to the Natural Speech
If someone knows how to regularly watch native speakers, and in particular, such contexts as TV, shows, podcasts or interviews, It is easier to learn because it allows concentrating on a specific point and hearing details such as changes of intonation or stress. If someone knows how to speak, they listen to such sounds as the up and down movement of a voice, where stress is placed and so on.
When English intonation and stress comes into play, learners do not view English in terms of its phonological mechanics of articulation but rather in the context of active self-expression. Intonation and stress, in the context of language are the ingredients that enhance language and make it functional.
