Pronunciation #1: Segments and Suprasegmentals Do you mind if I open the WINdow?
Versus Do you mind if I OPEn the window?
Versus Do you mind if I open the vindow?
What are the differences between these three sentences?
The first one was simply a first request about opening the window.
The second question changed the emphasis to "open."
The focus of a sentence changes depending upon whether it is a first request or second
request.
The second question could sound rude if it were really the first request.
The third sentence mispronounced the word "window," but the meaning of the question
was undoubtedly still clear.
Welcome to a series on pronunciation.
This is the first video which will begin looking at the difference between segmentals and suprasegmentals.
Pronunciation is divided into two large categories: segmentals and suprasegmentals.
Segmentals are also called "phonemes."
These are units of sound that can be analyzed.
So individual sounds of the consonants and vowels are segmentals.
Suprasegmentals are speech techniques that apply to multiple segments.
The suprasegmentals I want to discuss are intonation, stress, and rhythm, which can
also be refered to as prosody.
Intonation involves the use of pitch.
Pitch is raising or lowering the voice on a particular word while intonation is applying
that musicality of pitch to chunks of language.
Stress can refer to word stress and sentence stress and is part of what gives English its
rhythm.
We usually use pitch changes to indicate stress.
Loudness can also be used to stress parts of the word or sentence.
The other parts of rhythm are phrasing, pausing, and linking.
Interestingly enough, most second language learners and instructors spend the majority
of their time on segmentals when research tells us that suprasegmentals are much more
essential to understanding the meaning.
Segmentals Let's look more at individual phonemes, or
segments, for a minute.
In the third example sentence at the beginning, the consonant sound "w" was incorrectly pronounced
as a "v." While it probably did not prevent you from understanding the question, it indicates
the presenter is not a native English speaker.
Consonant and vowel SOUNDS are not exactly equal to the English consonants and vowels
letters.
The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) was created as a way to have one symbol equal
one sound.
Consonants can be voiced or unvoiced.
Voiced sounds mean that the vocal cords in the larynx (voice box) vibrate during the
sound.
Unvoiced means there is no vibration.
The /f/ sound is an example of an unvoiced consonant and /v/ is an example of a voiced
consonant.
Vowel sounds are always voiced.
They will either be single sounds or diphthongs, which are combinations of one vowel sound
moving to another, such as /ei/ as in "late."
Or triphthongs which are combinations of three vowel sounds.
So, in review, segmentals are individual sounds and suprasegmentals are speech techniques
involving more than one segment.
Segments are also known as phonemes and are represented in English as vowel sounds, consonant
sounds, diphthongs or occasionally triphthongs.
Suprasegmentals are the intonation, stress and rhythm of speech.
Intonation uses rising or falling pitch across chunks of language.
Stress involves word stress as well as sentence stress.
Ryhthm includes stress as well as phrasing, pausing and linking.
Go on and check the next video in the playlist.