This document discusses intonation in English phonetics. It defines intonation as the pitch patterns of spoken English which involve modifications of voice pitch to stress words. Intonation cues listeners to the type of utterance, such as a statement or question, and can indicate mood. It is different from but related to stress. The document covers pitch, tones, the structure of tone units including the nucleus and tail, and the functions of tones and intonation in English.

1. Applied English Phonetics

2. Intonation
 Intonation
 Pitch
 Tone
 Functions of the tone
 The tone unit
 Structure of the tone unit
 Falling and rising
 Functions of Intonation

3. Intonation
 No language is spoken on a monotone
 Languages have variations of pitch
 English intonation: pitch patterns of spoken
English; the speech tunes or melodies; the
musical features of English
 Intonation is significant
 Intonation is systematic
 Intonation is characteristic
 Because word/sentence stress involves changes
in voice pitch, speakers continually modify the
fundamental frequency of their voice while
speaking in order to stress particular words in an
utterance.

4.  The modification of voice pitch is known
as intonation
A speaker’s intonation pattern cues a
listener as to the type of utterance being
spoken, i.e., a statement of fact, a
question, an exclamation, etc.
 Intonation is also responsible, in part, for
indicating a speaker’s particular mood.
 Intonation is different from stress,
however there are relations between them.
 Range of intonation varies.

5. Pitch
 Auditory sensation experienced by the
hearer
 An individual speaker does have control
over his/her pitch and may choose to
speak with a higher pitch than normal
Pitch: High or Low

6. Tone
 Behaviour of the pitch
 One-syllable words can be said with level
tone or moving tone, however, English
speakers do not use level tones. It sounds
unnatural.
 Tone Languages imply meaning:
Mandarin Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese
 The tones are falling, rising, fall-rise,
rise-fall
 Representation of tones.

7. Structure of the tone unit
 Nucleus (Tonic syllable)
 Tail
 Head
 Pre-head

8. Functions of the English tone
 Fall ˎyes ˎno
 Rise ̗yes ̗no
 Rise-fall yes ̭no
̭
 Level _yes _no

9. Falling and Rising
Falling intonation or tune
 Statements
 Questions containing a special
interrogative word
 Commands

10. Rising Intonation
 Questions requiring the answer “yes” or
“no”
 First part of sentences
 Statements with an implication

11. Functions of Intonation
 Attitudinal function
 Accentual function
 Grammatical function
 Discourse function

12. Bibliography
• Allen, W Stannard. Living English Speech, 1954
• Celce Murcia, et al. Teaching Pronunciation, 1996
• Finch and Ortiz. A course in English Phonetics for Spanish
Speakers, 1982
• Jones, Daniel. An Outline of English Phonetics, 1967
• Roach, Peter. English Phonetics and Phonology, 2000
• Wells, J C. English Intonation. 2007