Stress and Intonation SUMMARY

We looked at some basic patterns in English stress and intonation. Although English stress is variable and mobile, there appear to be some significant generalizations about its predictability. The so-called ‘front weight’, i.e. stressing the penultimate syllable, seems to be the norm in disyllabic nouns and adjectives (over 80 percent of cases). In nouns and adjectives of three or more syllables, the focus still remains on the penult. However, if the penult contains fewer than two timing units, then the stress falls on the next left syllable that has two timing units. For verbs (regardless of the number of syllables) the stress focus is the ult. However, if the ult has fewer than two timing units, then the stress falls on the next left syllable that has two timing units. In complex forms, affixes have varying effects on stress; some attract stress to themselves, some cause stress to shift, while the third group is neutral to stress. In longer words, it is also common to find a lightly stressed (secondary stressed) syllable. Such syllables are prominent, like the main stressed syllables, without an effect of major pitch change, and their existence is in large part predictable.

We also considered intonation, which is pitch variation over a phrase or a sentence. We noted that the arrangements of tone groups or intonational phrases have a lot to do with what the intentions of the speaker are, and can vary accordingly. At the same time, however, we stated certain general principles regarding different intonation patterns. Falling intonation patterns (including rising–falling) are assertive and conclusive, and the degree of finality varies with the degree of the fall (i.e. a sharper, fuller fall indicates a greater degree). On the other hand, rising contours (including falling–rising) are continuative and non-definitive. Finally, we looked at some significant differences between stress patterns in American English and British English, as well as intonational variations among different varieties of English.