Stress and Intonation | B.ED HONS, PART -I, SEMESTER - II

1. Stress:

   Stress refers to the emphasis placed on certain syllables within words or on certain words within phrases or sentences. In English, stressed syllables are typically louder, longer, and higher in pitch than unstressed syllables. Stress patterns can vary depending on the word and its context. English is considered a stress-timed language, meaning that stressed syllables tend to occur at regular intervals, while unstressed syllables may be compressed or red

   Example:

• "PhoTOgraph" (stress on the second syllable)

• "beAUtiful" (stress on the first syllable)

• 
  "imporTANT" (stress on the second syllable)

 

2. Intonation:

   Intonation refers to the rise and fall of pitch in speech. It can convey various nuances such as questions, statements, commands, or emotions like surprise, excitement, or sarcasm. Intonation patterns can differ significantly across languages and dialects. In English, rising intonation at the end of a sentence often indicates a question, while falling intonation typically signals a statement. However, there are many other nuanced intonation patterns used to convey meaning.

 

   Example:

• "You're going to the STORE?" (rising intonation indicates a question)

• "You're going to the store." (falling intonation indicates a statement)