- **Epistemic status:** #budding Intonation is a variation of [[Vocal Pitch]] while speaking, expressing mood, emotion, and/or intent of the message. Adding emphasis correctly, people will have an easier time understanding you and add melody to your speech. [The explanation for American English Intonation: Speak Sing by Jill Diamond](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnOtU6GyRoY) is a good resource to review to grasp the concept. ## Rules of intonation ^27e833 These rules should help you add emphasis correctly in your speech. [The American English Melody Intonation Patterns lesson by Jill Diamond](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xUxyeKErXQ) should help you when learning these rules. ### Falling ^c75b6f [[Vocal Pitch]] jumps up slightly, then falls on the last word of the sentence. Used for commands, statements, and _'wh'_ questions. #### Commands - Go sit down**↳** - Come over here**↳** - Eat your food**↳** #### Statements - She came to dinner**↳** - I’m 6 feet tall.**↳** - Those strawberries are for dessert.**↳** #### 'wh' questions - What’s your name?**↳** - How long have you worked here?**↳** - Where did you go on vacation?**↳** ### Rising ^a26b9d [[Vocal Pitch]] falls slightly, then jumps on the last word of the sentence. Used for questions answered with a yes or a no and statements of surprise or disbelief. #### Yes or no questions - Are you on your way?**↱** - Is the concert on Tuesday?**↱** - Do we want to sit here?**↱** #### Statements of surprise or disbelief - You got an A on the test!**↱** - You're having a baby!**↱** - She lost her job!**↱** ### Choice ^0db305 [[Vocal Pitch]] rises on the first choice and falls on the second choice. Used for questions with _'or'_ and statements with _'and'_. #### Or questions - Do you want one**↱** or two**↳** mints? - Would you prefer beef**↱** or chicken?**↳** - Is it good**↱** or bad?**↳** #### And statements - There is dirt**↱** and oil**↳** all over my driveway. - I found a nickel**↱** and a dime**↳** on the ground. - Chips**↱** and cheese**↳** are my favorite snack. ### List ^f8c663 [[Vocal Pitch]] rises on each item, except the last item, then it falls. - Do you like videogames**↱**, books**↱**, movies**↱**, or anime?**↳** - Should we invite Billy**↱**, Bob**↱**, or Steve?**↳** - I would like to bring papers**↱**, pencils**↱**, folders**↱**, pens**↱**, and my laptop.**↳** ### Double rise ^2dce63 Used for questions with _'and'_. [[Vocal Pitch]] rises on both items around the _'and'_ - Would you like ice cream**↱** and cake?**↱** - Can I get you any salt**↱** and pepper?**↱** - Do you want sugar**↱** and cream**↱** in your coffee? ## Intonation practice It is important to emphasize a bit more than usual to help you get comfortable with your voice. You can practice the [rules of intonation](#^27e833) with the following dialogues. ### Falling intonation dialogue [Falling intonation rules](#^c75b6f) A: How was your weekend? B: My weekend was nice. A: Yeah? What did you do? B: I went to the park. How was your weekend? A: Not as good as yours… B: Oh no, what happened? A: Life. I'll tell you about it later. B: Oh, I’m sorry. I hope you’re doing okay. ### Rising intonation dialogue [Rising intonation rules](#^a26b9d) A: Hi Ori! B: Hi Matty! A: Did you hear about Ghost going on tour? B: What? I had no idea! A: I didn’t know either! B: How did you find out? A: I saw a live release for their new song! B: I need to go and watch that ASAP! ### Choice intonation dialogue [Choice intonation rules](#^0db305) A: Are you hungry? B: Yes, I am. A: Do you want leftover pizza or spaghetti? B: Pizza is perfect, thank you! A: No problem! ### List intonation dialogue [List intonation rules](#^f8c663) A: What video games did you buy? B: I bought Destroy All Humans, Outer Worlds, Diablo III, and Hades. A: Wow! You must be exhausted from playing so much! B: Yes, but I had a great time! A: I’m glad it was worth the time and expense. B: Oh, it definitely was! ### Double rise intonation dialogue [Double rise intonation dialogue](#^2dce63) A: Do you want to watch Troll 2 and the new Matrix movie? B: I would love to, but what about Killer Klowns from Outer Space? A: We watched that a few days ago.. B: But, I love that movie so much! A: Ok ok, we can do that. --- ## References - “Intonation (Linguistics).” In _Wikipedia_, February 9, 2022. <https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Intonation_(linguistics)&oldid=1070815386>. - “Intonation-WS.Pdf.” Accessed February 10, 2022. <https://cdn.pronunciationpro.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/05222954/Intonation-WS.pdf>. - Jill Diamond. _American English Intonation: Speak Sing_, 2017. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnOtU6GyRoY>. - _American English Melody [Intonation Patterns]_, 2017. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xUxyeKErXQ>.