Understanding and Teaching the Pronunciation of English.pdf

Typical intonation patterns in American
English

American English intonation tends to have a wider pitch
range, that is, more extreme “ups and downs,” than many
other languages. (Of course, this also varies from person to
person and situation to situation.) This wider pitch range
sometimes makes it di#cult for learners to get used to using
natural-sounding patterns. For example, if a learner is used to
hearing and speaking with a pitch range something like this:

Then the learner may feel uncomfortable trying to imitate a
pitch range like this:

In books, you may see intonation contours drawn in di"erent
styles, sometimes very rounded, and sometimes more angular.
Both describe the same thing; it’s mainly a matter of style:

or

Let’s look at some generalizations about intonation that are

simple and reliable enough to present to students. We’ll look

at these from three points of view:

• Intonation patterns that are related to grammar.


• Intonation patterns that are based on the function of the
  sentence in discourse, that is, the purpose it serves in
  the context of a whole conversation, speech, story, etc.


• Basic meanings conveyed by each intonation pattern.

Intonation patterns related to grammar

Sentences of di"erent grammatical types are often used with

their own typical intonation patterns. Of course, these are not

!rm rules that are followed 100% of the time—there’s a lot

of variation in the intonation patterns that speakers use in

real life—but they are useful generalizations that help

students speak with acceptable intonation patterns.

In matching intonation to the grammar of a sentence, it’s the

intonation at the end of a thought group or sentence that is

the most signi!cant. Is it rising or falling? Does it go all the

way up to the highest point in the speaker’s pitch range, or

only part way? Does it fall all the way to the lowest point, or

does it stay fairly $at?

136