Essentials of liguistics | Đại học Tây Đô

In addition to segmental information about speech sounds, many languages make use of prosody or suprasegmental information. Suprasegmental information includes the pitch, loudness, and length of sounds, and these factors contribute to the rhythm and stress patterns of spoken language.

In addition to segmental information about speech sounds, many languages make use of
prosody or suprasegmental information. Suprasegmental information includes the pitch,
loudness, and length of sounds, and these factors contribute to the rhythm and stress
patterns of spoken language.
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CONTENTS
ESSENTIALS OF LINGUISTICS
Chapter 3: Transcribing Speech Sounds
Check
Yourself
1.
Young
children’s
voices
are
usually
recognizably
different
from
adult’s
voices.
Which
factor
is
likeliest
to
be
different
between
children’s
speech
and
adults’
speech?
Word
length.
Tone.
Pitch.
2.
In
English,
yes-no
questions
often
conclude
with
rising
pitch,
whereas
wh-
questions
often
have
a
falling
pitch
on
the
final
words.
Is
this
pitch
difference
a
difference
in
tone
or
in
intonation?
Tone.
Intonation.
Pitch.
3.
English
uses
pitch
as
one
factor
in
syllable
stress.
There
are
many
English
pairs
of
words
like
record
(noun)
and
record
(verb),
which
are
Answers
spelled
the
same
but
differ
in
their
stress
patterns.
Which
of
the
following
is
true
for
this
pair
of
words?
The
first
syllable
has
higher
pitch
than
the
second
in
the
noun
record
.
The
second
syllable
has
higher
pitch
than
the
first
in
the
noun
record
.
Video
Script
So
far
all
the
sounds
we’ve
been
considering
are
segments:
the
individual
speech
sounds
that
we
represent
with
IPA
symbols.
But
when
we
speak,
we
also
include
sounds
that
are
above
or
beyond
the
level
of
the
segments.
This
sound
information
is
called
prosody
,
or
suprasegmental
information,
and
it
makes
up
the
rhythm,
timing,
meter,
and
stress
of
the
words
and
sentences
that
we
speak.
The
primary
pieces
of
suprasegmental
information
are
the
pitch
of
sounds,
the
loudness
,
and
the
length
.
The
pitch
of
a
sound
is
how
high
or
low
it
is.
We
produce
high
pitched
sounds
when
our
vocal
folds
have
a
high-frequency
vibration,
and
when
our
vocal
folds
vibrate
more
slowly,
the
resulting
sound
is
lower
in
pitch.
Some
languages
use
pitch
information
to
signal
changes
in
word
meaning.
If
a
language
uses
pitch
this
way,
the
pitch
information
is
called
tone
.
These
example
words
are
from
Yoruba,
a
language
spoken
in
Nigeria.
If
you
look
just
at
the
segmental
level,
these
words
all
seem
to
be
transcribed
the
same.
But
speakers
of
Yoruba
vary
their
pitch
when
they
speak
these
words
so
that
the
meaning
of
the
word
changes
depending
on
whether
the
second
syllable
has
a
high
tone,
a
mid-tone,
or
a
low
tone.
Probably
the
best-known
tone
language
is
Mandarin,
which
has
five
different
tones.
Looking
at
these
five
words,
you
can
see
that
they
contain
the
same
segments,
but
it’s
the
tones
that
distinguish
their
meaning.
Languages
also
use
pitch
in
another
way,
not
to
change
word
meaning,
but
to
signal
information
at
the
level
of
the
discourse,
or
to
signal
a
speaker’s
emotion
or
attitude.
When
pitch
is
used
this
way,
it’s
called
intonation
rather
than
tone.
English
uses
pitch
for
intonation
let’s
look
at
some
examples.
Sam
got
an
A
in
Calculus.
Sam
got
an
A
in
Calculus!
Sam
got
an
A
in
Calculus?
Sam?
got
an
A?
in
Calculus?
All
of
these
sentences
contain
the
same
words
(and
the
same
segments)
but
if
we
vary
the
intonation,
we
convey
something
different
about
the
speaker’s
attitude
towards
the
sentence’s
meaning.
Notice
that
we
sometimes
use
punctuation
in
our
writing
to
give
some
clues
about
a
sentence’s
prosody.
Another
component
of
suprasegmental
information
is
the
length
of
sounds.
Some
sounds
are
longer
than
others.
Listen
carefully
to
these
two
words
in
English.
beat,
bead.
The
vowel
sound
in
both
words
is
the
high
front
tense
vowel
[i].
But
in
bead
,
the
vowel
is
a
little
longer.
This
is
a
predictable
process
in
English
vowels
get
longer
when
there’s
a
voiced
sound
in
the
coda
of
the
syllable.
The
diacritic
to
indicate
that
a
segment
is
long
looks
a
bit
like
a
colon
[iː].
So
a
sound
can
change
in
length
as
the
result
of
a
predictable
articulatory
process,
or,
like
intonation,
length
can
signal
discourse-level
information
about
an
utterance.
Consider
the
difference
between,
That
test
was
easy,
and,
That
test
was
eeeeeeeeeeeeeaaasyyyyyyyy.
Some
languages
use
length
contrastively
,
that
is,
to
change
the
meaning
of
a
word.
In
these
words
in
Yapese,
a
language
of
the
Western
Pacific
region,
you
can
see
that
making
a
vowel
long
leads
to
a
completely
different
word
with
a
new
meaning.
In
these
words
from
Italian,
consonant
length
can
change
the
meaning
of
a
word,
so
fato
means
fate
,
but
fatto
means
fact
.
To
sum
up,
suprasegmental
information,
also
known
as
prosody,
is
that
sound
information
that’s
above
the
level
of
the
segment.
It
consists
of
pitch,
loudness,
and
length.
Many
languages
use
prosody
to
provide
discourse-level
information,
and
some
languages
also
use
prosody
to
change
word
meanings.
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Essentials
of
Linguistics
Copyright
©
2018
by
Catherine
Anderson
is
licensed
under
a
Creative
Commons
Attribution-ShareAlike
4.0
International
License,
except
where
otherwise
noted.
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Skip to content Toggle Menu Primary Navigation • • • • Search in book: SEARCH
Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices. Book Contents Navigation CONTENTS ESSENTIALS OF LINGUISTICS
Chapter 3: Transcribing Speech Sounds
In addition to segmental information about speech sounds, many languages make use of
prosody or suprasegmental information. Suprasegmental information includes the pitch,
loudness, and length of sounds, and these factors contribute to the rhythm and stress patterns of spoken language. Check Yourself
1. Young children’s voices are usually recognizably different from adult’s
voices. Which factor is likeliest to be different between children’s speech and adults’ speech? • Word length. • Tone. • Pitch.
2. In English, yes-no questions often conclude with rising pitch,
whereas wh-questions often have a falling pitch on the final words. Is this
pitch difference a difference in tone or in intonation? • Tone. • Intonation. • Pitch.
3. English uses pitch as one factor in syllable stress. There are many
English pairs of words like record (noun) and record (verb), which are
spelled the same but differ in their stress patterns. Which of the following
is true for this pair of words? •
The first syllable has higher pitch than the second in the noun record. •
The second syllable has higher pitch than the first in the noun record. Answers Video Script
So far all the sounds we’ve been considering are segments: the individual speech
sounds that we represent with IPA symbols. But when we speak, we also include
sounds that are above or beyond the level of the segments. This sound
information is called prosody, or suprasegmental information, and it makes up
the rhythm, timing, meter, and stress of the words and sentences that we speak.
The primary pieces of suprasegmental information are the pitch of sounds,
the loudness, and the length.
The pitch of a sound is how high or low it is. We produce high pitched
sounds when our vocal folds have a high-frequency vibration, and when
our vocal folds vibrate more slowly, the resulting sound is lower in pitch.
Some languages use pitch information to signal changes in word meaning.
If a language uses pitch this way, the pitch information is called tone.
These example words are from Yoruba, a language spoken in Nigeria. If
you look just at the segmental level, these words all seem to be
transcribed the same. But speakers of Yoruba vary their pitch when they
speak these words so that the meaning of the word changes depending on
whether the second syllable has a high tone, a mid-tone, or a low
tone. Probably the best-known tone language is Mandarin, which has five
different tones. Looking at these five words, you can see that they contain
the same segments, but it’s the tones that distinguish their meaning.
Languages also use pitch in another way, not to change word meaning,
but to signal information at the level of the discourse, or to signal a
speaker’s emotion or attitude. When pitch is used this way, it’s
called intonation rather than tone. English uses pitch for intonation —
let’s look at some examples.
Sam got an A in Calculus.
Sam got an A in Calculus!
Sam got an A in Calculus?
Sam? got an A? in Calculus?
All of these sentences contain the same words (and the same segments)
but if we vary the intonation, we convey something different about the
speaker’s attitude towards the sentence’s meaning. Notice that we
sometimes use punctuation in our writing to give some clues about a sentence’s prosody.
Another component of suprasegmental information is the length of
sounds. Some sounds are longer than others. Listen carefully to these two
words in English. beat, bead. The vowel sound in both words is the high
front tense vowel [i]. But in bead, the vowel is a little longer. This is a
predictable process in English — vowels get longer when there’s a voiced
sound in the coda of the syllable. The diacritic to indicate that a segment
is long looks a bit like a colon [iː].
So a sound can change in length as the result of a predictable articulatory
process, or, like intonation, length can signal discourse-level information
about an utterance. Consider the difference between, That test was
easy,
and, That test was eeeeeeeeeeeeeaaasyyyyyyyy. Some languages
use length contrastively, that is, to change the meaning of a word. In
these words in Yapese, a language of the Western Pacific region, you can
see that making a vowel long leads to a completely different word with a
new meaning. In these words from Italian, consonant length can change
the meaning of a word, so fato means fate, but fatto means fact.
To sum up, suprasegmental information, also known as prosody, is that
sound information that’s above the level of the segment. It consists of
pitch, loudness, and length. Many languages use prosody to provide
discourse-level information, and some languages also use prosody to change word meanings. Previous/next navigation BACK TO TOP LICENSE
Essentials of Linguistics Copyright © 2018 by Catherine Anderson is
licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
International License, except where otherwise noted.
Powered by Pressbooks • Guides and Tutorials • |Pressbooks Directory • |Contact
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