System of English intonation

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 569.

Page, five, join, now, go, near, pear, poor

IV. According to the length of the vowels they are divided into short and long.

V. According to the stability of articulation vowels are divided into monophthongs, diphthongs, diphthongoids.

1) A monophthong is an unchanging vowel sound. In its pronunciation the organs of speech do not change their position so its articulation is stable. There are 10 monophthongs in English.

[]10 monophthong – sit, ten, hat, got, put, cup, ago, arm, saw, fur

2) A diphthong is a complex sound consisting of two vowel elements. In the pronunciation of the diphthong the organs of speech start in the position of one vowel then they glide gradually(постепенно) in the direction of another vowel. Its full formation (образование)is not accomplished (не закончена). The articulation of diphthongs is not stable (не устойчивая). The first element of a diphthong is called a nucleus. It is strong, clear and distinct. The second element is rather weak. It is called the glide [ei, ai, oi, au, eu, ie, ee, ue]. – 8 diphthongs

3) There are two vowels in English which may have a diphthongal pronunciation. In the articulation of these vowels the organs of speech change their position but very slightly. These vowels are called diphthongoids [i:, u:]. key , too

In speech words are joined in sentences. Pronounced in isolation without a context or life situation, words do not form sentences. They become sentences only when they are pronounces with a particular tone, loudness, duration and voice timbre, determined by a particular context that is with a definite intonation.

Intonation is a complex unity of the following components: speech melody, sentence stress, voice timber and tempo of speech which enables the speaker to express adequately the meaning of sentences, his attitude towards their contents and his feelings and emotions. This broad (широкое) definition of intonation is given mainly by Russian scholars. British and American phoneticians define intonation generally as variations in pitch, excluding (исключать) other components.