Beyond Accent: The Importance of Intonation

By Shelly Wallace, Director,
XU Intercultural Communication Group

If you are a non-native speaker of English, there’s no question that you’ll be better understood if you use the correct speech sounds. But did you know that up to 60 percent of the meaning of your message comes through the intonation pattern you use? Intonation patterns are comprised of vocal pitch, stress, speech rate and loudness. Pitch and stress have the greatest impact on the meaning of your communication.

Consider the confusion that can occur if the wrong syllable is stressed in these words, which are spelled exactly the same way, but have different meanings depending on pronunciation:

PROject (noun) as in, “When will the PROject be complete?”
proJECT (verb) as in, “I proJECT a completion date of May 1.”
PREsent (noun) as in “I bought a birthday PREsent.”
preSENT (verb) as in “I will preSENT the proposal on Monday.”

The examples above demonstrate the importance of word stress. But what about intonation patterns and stress points in conversational speech? In English there are some basic guidelines:

1. The overall pitch pattern must rise and fall appropriately to match the meaning of the sentence. In general, declarative statements and “who-what-where” questions use a pitch pattern that rises and then falls at the end of the sentence. Other types of questions use a rising inflection at the end of the sentence.
   
   
2. Pitch rises and peaks at the primary stress point, and then it falls or rises significantly, depending on the type of statement that is being made. Words that are not significant, such as prepositions and articles, are said quickly, without precise pronunciation. This lack of precision on insignificant words allows the words to “link together,” and gives speech a fluid sound. In order for a speaker to sound confident and credible, their voice should stay level or up during the middle part of the sentence, and drop more significantly at the end. Notice the way that television newscasters speak – they are trained to speak in a confident, believable way, making full use of intonation patterns.
   
   
3. In order to keep the attention of your audience, you should vary your intonation. Speaking in a “monotone” way will certainly bore your audience, and may leave them feeling that you are bored as well! On the other hand, if a person uses excessive pitch changes or too many stress points, their speech may sound unnatural or awkward; they may also be perceived as lacking experience or maturity.

Because other languages use different intonation patterns, when the pattern from a person’s native language is applied to another language, it can affect the meaning of the message in a way that the speaker did not intend. Consider the difference between how Chinese and English speakers use emphasis to make a point. Chinese speakers will most likely use a lower tone when expressing key words, and in sharp contrast, American English speakers will raise their pitch and volume.

With a wide variety of subtle (and not so subtle) speech pattern differences between languages, it’s easy to see how misunderstandings can occur, even if all other elements of speech, such as word choices and pronunciation, are correct. Language is like music – it has natural rhythm and flow, rising and falling as it communicates its meaning. Learning to apply the intonation patterns native to the region in which you live will give your speech a pleasing quality that will be music to your listener’s ears.

For information on upcoming opportunities to improve your intonation and other communication skills, please email Shelly Wallace.