Chapter 6 � Diacritics and Sounds in Context

Chapter6–DiacriticsandSoundsinContextProsody–suprasegmentalaspectsofspeechIntonationStresspatternLoudnessvariationsPausingrhythmIntonation•Intonation–“patternsofpitchrisesandfallsandtothepatternsofstressinagivenlanguage”(p.99Shriberg&Kent)•Rhythm–alsocalledmelody.Includesdistributionof“stress.”•Stress=prominenceofasyllable.•Englishisstressedtimed.•English–Strong-Weaksyllablepattern.•Rhythmcontributestounderstandingofspeech.PitchDeclination•Declination=fall.•Fundamentalfrequencydeclines/fallsacrossclauses/sentences.•Pitchdeclinationallowslistenertosegmentspeech(clauses/sentences),segmentsyntacticgroupsofwordsNewvs.GivenInformation•ProsodyusedtohighlightNEWinformation.ContrastiveStress•Contrastivestressmarksimptwords•Seeexampleonpage101.•Pat:nowweturnleftatthedrive-inbank.•Terry:Iknowforcertainthehesaidtoturnrightatthedrive-inbank.•Pat:No,we’resupposedtoturnrightatthelaundromat.•Terry:Itwasrightatthebank.LexicalStress•Stress–distinguisheswords•Nounvs.Verbs•Importvs.imPORT•PROtestvs.proTEST•Stressalsodistinguishescompoundnounswithanounphrase•Blackboardvs.blackboard•Blackbirdvs.blackbird