Phonetic and phonology TUNES SHAPES

English phonetics and phonology Tune Shapes Glide down, glide up, take off and the drive How to use the tune in English phonetics and phonology

TUNES SHAPES

Part 1: 4 types of tune shapes

I The falling tune – The Glide-Down

Definition: The falling tune consists of a fall in the voice from a fairly high

pitch to a very low one The fall is on the stressed syllable to a following one _ Glide-down appearance:

-' ' `

Example: //it wəz 'kwait `gud//

II The first rising tune – The Glide-Up

Definition: The Glide-Up is just like the Glide Down except that it ends with a

rise in the voice instead of a fall

_ Glide-up appearance:

' ' -, -

Example: //ai 'wəunt 'draiv 'tu: ,fa:st//

III The second rising tune – The Take-Off

Definition: The Take-Off also ends with a rise in the voice, like the Glide-Up,

but any words and syllables before the rise are low

_ Take-off appearance:

-, , -,

Example: //hi: ,didnt ,luk ,il/ ,did i://

IV The falling-rising tune – The Dive

Definition: The Dive consists of a fall from rather high to low and then a rise

to about the middle of your voice

_ There are two The Drive appearances:

` -, -, -,

Example: // `dəunt ,meik mi: ,æŋri //

-' -' ˇ -

Example: //ai 'laik jƆ: ˇhæt// (I must admit)

Part 2: How to use the tunes?

I Glide-down

1 Statements which are complete and definite

Example: //it wəz 'kwait `gud//

2 If you want the question to sound more business-like and interested in the subject and also for one-word questions

Example : //'hu: Ɔn 'ə: wəz `ðæt//

3 For short question use as response, like Did you? Has she?, use the Glide down

Example: // `did ju:?//

4 Where the word not occurs in either the statement or the tag question (not in both), use the Glide down to force the other person to agree with you

Example: //ju: ,wəunt ,w⋀ri/ `wil ju://

5 For strong exclamation

Example: //wƆt ə 'veri 'priti `dres//

II Glide-up

1 If the statement is intended to be soothing or encouraging

Example: //ai 'wəunt 'draiv 'tu: ,fa:st//

2 If the statement is intended as a question

Example: //ju: ,laik it?/

3 If you want to show as much interest in the other person as in the subject Example: //'hauz jƆ: ,dƆ:tə //

4 For all other yes-no questions

Example: //'kæn ai ,si: it?//

5 For greeting and for saying goodbye

Example: //'gud ,mƆ:niŋ //

6 For exclamation which refer to something not very exciting or unexpected Example: // , θæŋk ju://

III Take-off

1 If the statement is a grumble

Example: //ai didn’t ,hə:t ju://

2 For repetition-questions, when you are repeating someone else’s question or when you want the other person to repeat some information

Example: // ,wen did ai gəu//

3 For tag-questions after commands

Example: //'k⋀m əuvə `hiə / ,wil ju:?//

4 If both the statement and the tag question have not in them, or if not is missing from both

Example: //ju: `laik it / ,did ju:?//

5 When you don’t want to force the other person to agree with you, but to give his/her opinion

Example: //hi: ,didnt ,luk ,il/ ,did i://

6 If the exclamation is questioning

Example: // ,riəli?//

IV The Drive

1 If the statement is not complete but leading to a following word-group

Example: //hi: 'tu:k ˇka:// (and do something else)

2 Statements which showreservation on the part of the speaker and which might be followed by but/ you must admit or I must admit

Example: //ai 'laik jƆ: ˇhæt// (I must admit)

3 If the statement is a correction of what someone else has said

Example: (He’s forty five) /'fƆ:ti ˇsiks//

4 If the statement is a warning

Example: //ju: l bi: ˇleit//

5 If the statement has two parts, of which the first is more important to the meaning than the second, use the Dive, with the fall at the end of the first part and the rise at the end of the second

Example: //ai 'went tə `l⋀ndən Ɔn ,m⋀ndei//

6 If you want the command to sound like a pleading request use the Dive, with the fall on Do or Don’t if they occur or on the main verb if not, and the rise at the end

Example: // `dəunt ,meik mi: ,æŋri //

The end