Suprasegmental Suprasegmental features and Prosodyfeatures and Prosody

Lect 6A&B LING1005/6105Lect 6A&B LING1005/6105

ProsodyProsody An informal definitionAn informal definition: The ‘music’ of a language, : The ‘music’ of a language,

its characteristic ‘melody’ and ‘rhythm’.its characteristic ‘melody’ and ‘rhythm’. A more formal definitionA more formal definition: The system of prosodic : The system of prosodic

contrasts that a language employs.contrasts that a language employs. Supra-segmental featuresSupra-segmental features: Phonetic features that : Phonetic features that

span more than a single speech segment. Features span more than a single speech segment. Features that span a whole syllable or are only apparent that span a whole syllable or are only apparent when one syllable is compared with others in its when one syllable is compared with others in its neighbourhood.neighbourhood.

Typical suprasegmental featuresTypical suprasegmental features::– Voice pitchVoice pitch– Loudness or vocal effortLoudness or vocal effort– Length or relative duration of a syllableLength or relative duration of a syllable

Suprasegmental features realize or express Suprasegmental features realize or express prosodic contrasts.prosodic contrasts.

English ProsodyEnglish Prosody

Made up of three prosodic systems:Made up of three prosodic systems:– Stress: operates at the level of the wordStress: operates at the level of the word– RhythmRhythm– Intonation: operates at the level of the phrase Intonation: operates at the level of the phrase

or whole utternace.or whole utternace. Stress: the relative prominence of a Stress: the relative prominence of a

syllable.syllable. Rhythm: Rhythm: patterns of stress in time. Intonation: the pitch pattern of an

utterance.

Some complicationsSome complications Prosody in languages that are related to English

can be analysed under three main headings (word stress, rhythm, intonation).

However, for tone languages (Chinese, Vietnamese, and many others) or other languages whose prosodic system is quite different from that of English (like Japanese), the 3-way division of prosody into stress, rhythm and intonation applies only in part.

Prosodic interference or transfer effects (interference of L1 prosody on L2) can be a major source of difficulty for second language learners.

More on this later.

English word stressEnglish word stress

Locate the main stress (most prominent syllable) Locate the main stress (most prominent syllable) in these words:in these words:

electricelectric electrician electrician permit (n) permit (v) permit (n) permit (v)

Locate the Locate the unstressedunstressed syllables in the words syllables in the words

above.above. Unstressed syllables undergo vowel reduction.Unstressed syllables undergo vowel reduction. Syllables that are not reduced, but not the most Syllables that are not reduced, but not the most

prominent in the word are called prominent in the word are called ‘secondary ‘secondary stressed’stressed’ syllables. syllables.

Hence we may distinguish 3 levels of stress Hence we may distinguish 3 levels of stress in English words: in English words: – PrimaryPrimary: main stress or accent: main stress or accent– SecondarySecondary: unreduced and not accented: unreduced and not accented– Tertiary: reduced or unstressed.Tertiary: reduced or unstressed.

Some word stress alternations in English:Some word stress alternations in English:

diplomatdiplomat diplomacydiplomacydiplomaticdiplomatic

photographphotograph photographyphotography photographicphotographic

It is sometimes hard to distinguish between It is sometimes hard to distinguish between secondary and tertiary levels of stress.secondary and tertiary levels of stress.

or or ???? There is some dialect variation with vowel There is some dialect variation with vowel

reduction.reduction. English word stress ‘likes’ to follow an alternating English word stress ‘likes’ to follow an alternating

pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables:pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables:

S U S U S U S S U S US U S U S U S S U S U

Word stress is culminative in Word stress is culminative in

EnglishEnglish.. Polysyllabic words in English have a single center Polysyllabic words in English have a single center

of stress prominence, the accented syllable.of stress prominence, the accented syllable. Even in long words, which might be said to have Even in long words, which might be said to have

two primary stressed syllables:two primary stressed syllables:

psycholinguisticspsycholinguistics

One syllable in the word tends to carry the One syllable in the word tends to carry the accentaccent

in the intonation contour of a whole utternace.in the intonation contour of a whole utternace.

(incredulous)(incredulous) The stress pattern of a word ‘culminates’ in a The stress pattern of a word ‘culminates’ in a

single syllable – the one that potentially carries single syllable – the one that potentially carries phrase accent.phrase accent.

Compound wordsCompound words Words that are composed of words:Words that are composed of words:

hot-doghot-dog hot doghot dog[[hhttddg]g] [[hht t ddg]g]compoundcompound phrasephraselook-inlook-in look inlook in[[llkk]] [[llk k ]]<opportunity><opportunity> <look in><look in>

Compound word has initial stress.Compound word has initial stress. The second element of the compound is The second element of the compound is

de-accented. de-accented. (Compared with the 2(Compared with the 2ndnd element of the phrase)element of the phrase)

Only one accented syllable per word.Only one accented syllable per word.

Stress is important for the sound Stress is important for the sound pattern of English wordspattern of English words

Non-native speakers of English Non-native speakers of English should practice hearing and should practice hearing and producing these stress contrasts:producing these stress contrasts:

an an insultinsult to into insultsult

an an overflowoverflow to overto overflowflow

an an increaseincrease to into increasecrease

a a walkoutwalkout to to walk walk outout See exercises from See exercises from Peter Peter LadefogedLadefoged..

Stress and word class in Stress and word class in EnglishEnglish

All All major lexical itemsmajor lexical items carry primary stress carry primary stress (have an accentable syllable).(have an accentable syllable).

Function wordsFunction words are normally unstressed are normally unstressed (reduced)(reduced)

JohnJohn waswas suresure thatthat thethe keyskeys werewere onon thethe tabletable..

The preposition ‘on’ which carries primary The preposition ‘on’ which carries primary stress, is an exception to the rule in this case.stress, is an exception to the rule in this case.

The accented syllables on lexical items and The accented syllables on lexical items and the unstressed function words set up a the unstressed function words set up a rhythmic pattern in English utterances.rhythmic pattern in English utterances.

English rhythmEnglish rhythm

Stressed syllables tend to occur at regular Stressed syllables tend to occur at regular intervals of time.intervals of time.Stressed Stressed syllables syllables tend to otend to occur at ccur at regular regular intervals of intervals of time.time.

You can usually tap in regular time to the primary You can usually tap in regular time to the primary stressed syllables in a fluent English phrase.stressed syllables in a fluent English phrase.

English is said to be a English is said to be a ‘stress-timed’‘stress-timed’ language. language. Other languages are said to be Other languages are said to be ‘syllable timed’‘syllable timed’

(e.g. French) or (e.g. French) or ‘mora timed’‘mora timed’ (Japanese, Finnish). (Japanese, Finnish). No language is perfectly rhythmic (isochronous) No language is perfectly rhythmic (isochronous)

and this classification of types of language and this classification of types of language rhythm remains controversial.rhythm remains controversial.

Summarizing: English stressSummarizing: English stress Three levels of prominence (stress) in Three levels of prominence (stress) in

English words.English words. Depending on whether a syllable may Depending on whether a syllable may

carry accent, or undergo reduction:carry accent, or undergo reduction:AccentedAccented ReducedReduced

Primary stressPrimary stress yesyes nono stressedstressedSecondary stressSecondary stress nono nono stressedstressedTertiary stressTertiary stress nono yesyes unstressedunstressed

English stress is culminative.English stress is culminative. Alternating stressed and unstressed Alternating stressed and unstressed

syllables set up rhythmic patterns in syllables set up rhythmic patterns in speech.speech.

English is said to be stress-timed.English is said to be stress-timed.

Phonetic expression of stress in Phonetic expression of stress in English.English.

Is complex and involves several supra-Is complex and involves several supra-segmental features:segmental features:

Pitch prominencePitch prominence: accented syllables carry : accented syllables carry the main changes of voice pitch in the the main changes of voice pitch in the utterance.utterance.

LoudnessLoudness: stressed syllables are louder.: stressed syllables are louder. LengthLength: stressed syllables are longer in : stressed syllables are longer in

duration.duration. Gestural magnitudeGestural magnitude: Length and loudness : Length and loudness

differences may reflect a common factor that differences may reflect a common factor that prominent syllables are produced with larger prominent syllables are produced with larger articulatory and vocal gestures, which resist articulatory and vocal gestures, which resist reduction and coarticulation effects – reduction and coarticulation effects – properties of unstressed syllables.properties of unstressed syllables.

ToneTone

Tone languages use voice pitch (and Tone languages use voice pitch (and possibly voice quality) to make lexical possibly voice quality) to make lexical contrasts (to distinguish words).contrasts (to distinguish words).

The domain of tone is the syllable The domain of tone is the syllable (Hence tone is a supra-segmental (Hence tone is a supra-segmental feature).feature).

The number of tones a language uses is The number of tones a language uses is quite limited.quite limited.

Tone and word stress tend to be Tone and word stress tend to be ‘competing’ prosodic systems.‘competing’ prosodic systems.

Vietnamese tonesVietnamese tones

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Types of tone languageTypes of tone language

(Standard) Chinese and Vietnamese are (Standard) Chinese and Vietnamese are examples of contour tone languages.examples of contour tone languages.

Their tones are made up of dynamic Their tones are made up of dynamic voice pitch changes (along with voice voice pitch changes (along with voice quality).quality).

Register tone languages (predominating Register tone languages (predominating in Africa) have level tones, usually in in Africa) have level tones, usually in just two pitch registers: high and low.just two pitch registers: high and low.

A West African register tone A West African register tone languagelanguage

Tone and word stressTone and word stress May be regarded as competing systems of word prosody. May be regarded as competing systems of word prosody.

Why might this be so?Why might this be so? The phonetic features which carry tone and stress are The phonetic features which carry tone and stress are

similar.similar. Tonal contrasts and stress contrasts may make Tonal contrasts and stress contrasts may make

competing requirements on the speech mechanism.competing requirements on the speech mechanism. In English, there is only one accent bearing syllable per In English, there is only one accent bearing syllable per

word. Some syllables undergo reduction.word. Some syllables undergo reduction. Stress contrasts exist between syllables in different Stress contrasts exist between syllables in different

positions in a word:positions in a word: permitpermit perpermitmit In Vietnamese, every syllable carries a tone. Syllables are In Vietnamese, every syllable carries a tone. Syllables are

not reduced.not reduced. Tone contrasts would be threatened by syllable reduction.Tone contrasts would be threatened by syllable reduction. Does Vietnamese have word stress? A controversial issue.Does Vietnamese have word stress? A controversial issue.

IntonationIntonation The melody of a phrase or whole utternace.The melody of a phrase or whole utternace. What would an utterance sound like What would an utterance sound like

without its intonation contour?without its intonation contour?A bird in the hand is worth two in the bushA bird in the hand is worth two in the bush..

This utterance was generated by a speech This utterance was generated by a speech synthesiser, where voice pitch can be synthesiser, where voice pitch can be separately controled from other separately controled from other parameters of speech production.parameters of speech production.

Changes in voice pitch are the main Changes in voice pitch are the main phonetic cue for intonation.phonetic cue for intonation.

But the duration and pausing pattern in an But the duration and pausing pattern in an utterance are also crucial cues for utterance are also crucial cues for intonation. intonation.

The elements of an intonation The elements of an intonation contuourcontuour

The major pitch peaks and voice pitch changes, The major pitch peaks and voice pitch changes, which are known as which are known as ‘accents’‘accents’..

The The shapeshape and and locationlocation of these accents. of these accents. The The relative durationrelative duration of segments and the of segments and the

location of location of pausespauses (junctures). (junctures).

bird hand two bushVoice pitch trace

spectrogram

Meaning and the shape of pitch Meaning and the shape of pitch accentsaccents

The meaning of a pitch accent will be strongly The meaning of a pitch accent will be strongly affected by the context in which it appears.affected by the context in which it appears.

But some generalizations can be made about the But some generalizations can be made about the meanings of basic accent types:meanings of basic accent types:yesyes yesyes yesyes yesyes yesyesfallfall low riselow rise levellevel high rise risefallhigh rise risefall

‘‘agree’agree’‘go on’‘go on’ boredbored surprisesurprise insistinsist‘‘assert’assert’ impatientimpatient questionquestionneutral neutral

Functions of intonation: What does intonation do?

Illocutionary: marking speaker’s attitude and intended purpose of the utterance.– Asserting, pleading, insisting, inquiring,…

Demarcative: marking phrase boundaries.– Related to syntactic parsing, identifying phrase

boundaries Highlighting: marking ‘new’ or ‘important’

information.– When a topic is first introduced into discourse, it is likely

to be placed at the intonational centre of the phrase, to be thus highlighted to draw the listener’s attention. On subsequent mention, the item shifts out of intonational focus. It is now old information.

Some intonational contrasts to Some intonational contrasts to analyseanalyse

Would you like tea or coffee? A: B: Would you like tea or coffee? A: B: A lion is a mammal. A: B:A lion is a mammal. A: B: Your mom will marry a lawyer.Your mom will marry a lawyer. Go on. A: B:Go on. A: B: When danger threatens your children When danger threatens your children

call the police. A: B:call the police. A: B: Jenny gave Peter instructions to Jenny gave Peter instructions to

follow. follow. A: B:A: B: