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Guest Posted 22 years ago
Grammar
Am English tones and tone level at the end of questions
When ever I've read the scripture aloud at Sunday worship, I've been told I read well, or clearly, or with understanding. However, recently, a friend of mine who is a former English professor said I should not raise the pitch of my voice at the end of a question. Also, she said that English is spoken on only 4 "tones" or pitches, and that regardless of what kind of English is spoken, the speaker will only use 4 "tones". Both of these statements are new to me.
Regarding my background, I have some music training, have lived in Ohio, both upper and lower Michigan, Virginia, Alaska, Wisconsin, S.Dakota, Illinois, Arizona, New York and Florida, have traveled through almost every state, listen to a lot of British TV, and have graduate degree. I've been told by some that I have a predominately mid-western accent, yet often when I meet new people they ask where I come from because they say they can't place my accent .
For the past few weeks I've been attentive to how I'm speaking and reading aloud, especially when I read weekday Morning Prayer in church. Mentally, I've been turning my sentences into just music tones after I've spoken them. It seems to my ear that I'm using more than 4 tones/pitches. Please, tell me about the pitch of the voice in speaking English, including the pitch of questions?
Regarding my background, I have some music training, have lived in Ohio, both upper and lower Michigan, Virginia, Alaska, Wisconsin, S.Dakota, Illinois, Arizona, New York and Florida, have traveled through almost every state, listen to a lot of British TV, and have graduate degree. I've been told by some that I have a predominately mid-western accent, yet often when I meet new people they ask where I come from because they say they can't place my accent .
For the past few weeks I've been attentive to how I'm speaking and reading aloud, especially when I read weekday Morning Prayer in church. Mentally, I've been turning my sentences into just music tones after I've spoken them. It seems to my ear that I'm using more than 4 tones/pitches. Please, tell me about the pitch of the voice in speaking English, including the pitch of questions?
Top answer
Someone once told me that women raise the pitch at the end of questions and men don't. I think it's all a load of nonsense myself - the sort of thing they program synthesised voices to do, but not something done in practice by actual speakers. ", I might stress ANY ONE of those syllables, and each option would result in a very slight difference in meaning, or at least emphasis.
- Someone once told me that women raise the pitch at the end of questions and men don't.
- I think it's all a load of nonsense myself - the sort of thing they program synthesised voices to do, but not something done in practice by actual speakers.
- ", I might stress ANY ONE of those syllables, and each option would result in a very slight difference in meaning, or at least emphasis.
- Maybe this is one of those things of which native speakers are completely unaware but do it all the time without realising it?
- I'd like to hear other views on this.
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1 Answers
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Someone once told me that women raise the pitch at the end of questions and men don't. I think it's all a load of nonsense myself - the sort of thing they program synthesised voices to do, but not something done in practice by actual speakers.
I suppose I would raise the pitch slightly on a stressed syllable, so for "Is that right?", I might stress ANY ONE of those syllables, and each o
I suppose I would raise the pitch slightly on a stressed syllable, so for "Is that right?", I might stress ANY ONE of those syllables, and each o
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