The phonetic nature and types of speech rhythm in different languages.
RHYTHM - regularity or periodicity in the occurrence of a particular phenomenon in an utterance. In some languages the recurring phenomena are stresses, in others - syllables. So languages can be characterized either by stress-timed or syllable-timed rhythm. English is considered to be mostly a language with stress-timed rhythm (it presupposes that utterance stress serves as a basis for the rhythmical organization of speech and that stresses segment the speech continuum into units of more or less equal length. These are accentual, or rhythmic units. Hierarchically higher are prosodic units: intonation groups and utterances. ISOCHRONY is a characteristic feature of English rhythm. But perfect isochronism can be realized very rarely, only when definite conditions are fulfilled.
The rhythmic unit is a perceptible unit which can be isolated due to its prosodic features and meanings. Acoustically, rhythm is a complex of variations in frequency, intensity and duration. Since the basis of rhythm is stress, which is a structural acoustic phenomenon, rhythm is a structural acoustic phenomenon too and it is achieved by the same acoustic parameters that produce the effect of stress.
Speech tempo and pausation
TEMPO
The tempo of speech is the rate at which utterances and their smaller units are pronounced. On the acoustic level tempo is generally measured by the number of syllables per second.
Tempo of speech may be determined by different factors. It may vary depending on the size of audience, the acoustic qualities of the room, the individuality of the speaker and other extralinguistic factors. But most significant for the linguistic study is how variations in tempo correlate with changes in meaning.
It is common knowledge that by slowing down the tempo of speech we can make an utterance or part of it more prominent, thus underlining the semantic importance of it.
On the contrary, by increasing the speed of utterance we diminish prominence and, as a result the actual semantic importance of what we say.
Tempo can also be used to express the speaker's attitude or emotion. For example, fast tempo may express excitement, joy, anger, etc. Slow tempo shows relaxation or calmness, reserved and phlegmatic attitude on the part of the speaker.
Everybody's speech has some norm of tempo, deviations from which affect meaning. Phoneticians generally distinguish normal tempo and two departures from the norm: fast and slow.
PAUSES
The speech continuum is divided into units of different length and hierarchy by means of pauses. It is the main function of a pause to segment connected speech into utterances and intonation groups to delimit one utterance or intonation group from another. Pauses are closely related with tempo: the number and length of pauses affect the general tempo of speech.
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Phoneticians distinguish 3 main types of pauses: silent pauses, pauses of perception and voiced (or filled} pauses.
A silent pause is a stop in the phonation (a stop of the work of the vocal cords, which results in the cessation of sound).
Pauses of perception are not a stop in phonation, as there is no period of silence. The effect of a pause is produced by a sharp change of pitch direction, or by variations in duration, or both.
Pauses of perception are generally marked by a wavy line which is used at the junction of intonation groups.
Voiced pauses have usually the quality of the central vowel [ 3: (Э) ] with or without nasalization [ э (m) ]. They are used to signal hesitation or doubt and are therefore called hesitation pauses.
Pauses are very important constituents of intonation. Besides their segmentative and delimitative functions they also perform a unifying function showing the relations between utterances or intonation groups.
The notion of speech style. Phonetic style-forming means in English
PHONETIC STYLES are different ways of pronunciation caused by extralinguistic factors and characterized by definite features. EXTRALINGUISTIC FACTORS: 1) the aim of speech; 2) the extent of creative activity of speech; 3) the form of speech; 4) social and psychological factors. STYLES: belles-letters, publicistic, newspaper, the style of official documents, oratorical, conversational, etc.
Each phonetic style is characterized by a specific combination of certain segmental and prosodic features. THE DEGREE OF ASSIMILATION, REDUCTION AND ELISION may serve to distinguish phonetic styles. Besides these segmental features, there are prosodic features which enable people to distinguish between different styles.
- Each speaker has a norm of LOUDNESS which he may depart from in different circumstances.
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- His speech is generally characterized by a more or less regular usage of certain TONES. But there are circumstances when he introduces into his speech tonal variations, variations of pitch levels and ranges (either to awaken enthusiasm and interest in his audience, or to acquire an authoritative tone or, vice versa, to sound informal).
- Each speaker has a norm of speech TEMPO as well. He may also depart from it in different circumstances. For example, when reading aloud the tempo is more or less even, when chatting freely the variations in the tempo appear to be considerable.
- PAUSES also help to distinguish phonetic styles. In the written English read aloud the pauses
are closely related to the grammatical structures, but in conversations they appear in between words in close grammatical connection.
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