Nguyễn Trọng Long

Suprasegmental features Suprasegmental features and Prosody and Prosody Lect _ Nguyen Trong Long 2009 Lect _ Nguyen Trong Long 2009 Prosody Prosody  An informal definition An informal definition : The ‘music’ of a language, its : The ‘music’ of a language, its characteristic ‘melody’ and ‘rhythm’. characteristic ‘melody’ and ‘rhythm’.  A more formal definition A more formal definition : The system of prosodic : The system of prosodic contrasts that a language employs. contrasts that a language employs.  Supra-segmental features Supra-segmental features : Phonetic features that span : Phonetic features that span more than a single speech segment. Features that span a more than a single speech segment. Features that span a whole syllable or are only apparent when one syllable is whole syllable or are only apparent when one syllable is compared with others in its neighbourhood. compared with others in its neighbourhood.  Typical suprasegmental features Typical suprasegmental features : : – Voice pitch Voice pitch – Loudness or vocal effort Loudness or vocal effort – Length or relative duration of a syllable Length or relative duration of a syllable  Suprasegmental features realize or express prosodic Suprasegmental features realize or express prosodic contrasts. contrasts. English Prosody English Prosody  Made up of three prosodic systems: Made up of three prosodic systems: – Stress: operates at the level of the word Stress: operates at the level of the word – Rhythm Rhythm – Intonation: operates at the level of the phrase or Intonation: operates at the level of the phrase or whole utternace. whole utternace.  Stress: the relative prominence of a syllable. Stress: the relative prominence of a syllable.  Rhythm: Rhythm: patterns of stress in time.  Intonation: the pitch pattern of an utterance. Some complications Some complications  Prosody in languages that are related to English can be analysed under three main headings (word stress, rhythm, intonation).  However, for tone languages (Chinese, Vietnamese, and many others) or other languages whose prosodic system is quite different from that of English (like Japanese), the 3-way division of prosody into stress, rhythm and intonation applies only in part.  Prosodic interference or transfer effects (interference of L1 prosody on L2) can be a major source of difficulty for second language learners.  More on this later. English word stress English word stress  Locate the main stress (most prominent syllable) in these Locate the main stress (most prominent syllable) in these words: words: electric electric electrician electrician permit (n) permit (v) permit (n) permit (v)          Locate the Locate the unstressed unstressed syllables in the words above. syllables in the words above.  Unstressed syllables undergo vowel reduction. Unstressed syllables undergo vowel reduction.  Syllables that are not reduced, but not the most Syllables that are not reduced, but not the most prominent in the word are called prominent in the word are called ‘secondary stressed’ ‘secondary stressed’ syllables. syllables.                                Hence we may distinguish 3 levels of stress in Hence we may distinguish 3 levels of stress in English words: English words: – Primary Primary : main stress or accent : main stress or accent – Secondary Secondary : unreduced and not accented : unreduced and not accented – Tertiary: reduced or unstressed. Tertiary: reduced or unstressed.  Some word stress alternations in English: Some word stress alternations in English: diplomat diplomat diplomacy diplomacy diplomatic diplomatic photograph photograph photography photography photographic photographic                                              It is sometimes hard to distinguish between It is sometimes hard to distinguish between secondary and tertiary levels of stress. secondary and tertiary levels of stress.         or or         ?? ??  There is some dialect variation with vowel reduction. There is some dialect variation with vowel reduction.  English word stress ‘likes’ to follow an alternating pattern English word stress ‘likes’ to follow an alternating pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables: of stressed and unstressed syllables:                       S U S U S U S S U S U S U S U S U S S U S U Word stress is culminative in English Word stress is culminative in English . .  Polysyllabic words in English have a single center of stress Polysyllabic words in English have a single center of stress prominence, the accented syllable. prominence, the accented syllable.  Even in long words, which might be said to have two Even in long words, which might be said to have two primary stressed syllables: primary stressed syllables: psycholinguistics psycholinguistics          One syllable in the word tends to carry the One syllable in the word tends to carry the accent accent in the in the intonation contour of a whole utternace. intonation contour of a whole utternace.           (incredulous) (incredulous)  The stress pattern of a word ‘culminates’ in a single The stress pattern of a word ‘culminates’ in a single syllable – the one that potentially carries phrase accent. syllable – the one that potentially carries phrase accent. Compound words Compound words  Words that are composed of words: Words that are composed of words: hot-dog hot-dog hot dog hot dog [ [   h h   t t   d d   g] g] [ [   h h   t t   d d   g] g] compound compound phrase phrase look-in look-in look in look in [ [   l l   k k   ] ] [ [   l l   k k   ] ] <opportunity> <opportunity> <look in> <look in>  Compound word has initial stress. Compound word has initial stress.  The second element of the compound is The second element of the compound is de- de- accented. accented. (Compared with the 2 (Compared with the 2 nd nd element of the element of the phrase) phrase)  Only one accented syllable per word. Only one accented syllable per word. Stress is important for the sound pattern of Stress is important for the sound pattern of English words English words  Non-native speakers of English should Non-native speakers of English should practice hearing and producing these practice hearing and producing these stress contrasts: stress contrasts: an an   insult insult to in to in   sult sult an an   overflow overflow to over to over   flow flow an an   increase increase to in to in   crease crease a a   walkout walkout to to   walk walk   out out  See exercises from See exercises from Peter Peter Ladefoged Ladefoged . . [...]... involves several supra-segmental features: Pitch prominence: accented syllables carry the main changes of voice pitch in the utterance Loudness: stressed syllables are louder Length: stressed syllables are longer in duration Gestural magnitude: Length and loudness differences may reflect a common factor that prominent syllables are produced with larger articulatory and vocal gestures, which resist reduction... tones 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 a á à ạ ả ã Types of tone language (Standard) Chinese and Vietnamese are examples of contour tone languages  Their tones are made up of dynamic voice pitch changes (along with voice quality)  Register tone languages (predominating in Africa) have level tones, usually in just two pitch registers: high and low  A West African register tone language Tone and word stress . Suprasegmental features and Prosody and Prosody Lect _ Nguyen Trong Long 2009 Lect _ Nguyen Trong Long 2009 Prosody Prosody  An informal definition An informal. syllable. prominence, the accented syllable.  Even in long words, which might be said to have two Even in long words, which might be said to have two primary