Intonation

Imagine you are waiting for a taxi outside the shopping mall, a taxi driver arrives and asks in a flat low voice ‘Where do you want to go?’ Would you respond to him? 

Now imagine after 5 minutes, another taxi driver arrives and asks you with you a cheery, musical voice ‘where do you want to go, ma’am?’ Would you tell your destination location this time or not? 

If you choose the second taxi, it is just because of the driver’s way asking has made you more comfortable. 

That's where intonation plays the most crucial role in languages. But what is intonation? What role does it play? 

What do we mean by intonation?

There are many pronunciation features in English, which include sentence stress, word stress, rhythm, and accent. Intonation is one of these features in English. It is common to all languages.  

Intonation determines the fall and rise in the pitch of the speaker. In simple words, intonation is the music of speech. It determines the variation in the pitch. The fall and rise of the pitch depend on the feeling and expression we want to convey through our words.

Intonation can indicate surprise, confusion, happiness, sarcasm, and surprise. Intonation is all about how we say rather than what we say. Intonation defines the mood of the speaker. 

There are four types of intonation, but at the basic level, we will learn only 2 of them. 

1. Falling intonation 
2. Rising intonation. 

Falling intonation 

Fall in intonation occurs when the speaker's voice lowers in pitch at the end of the sentence.It is common in American English.

There are five patterns to use falling intonation in English. 

1. Commands 
2. Statements 
3. WH-Questions
4. Tag questions
5. Exclamations 

One can command somebody in a high pitch too. It depends on person whether they use rising intonation or falling intonation, but usually, native speakers use falling pitch to command someone to do something.

Note: In the following examples, a downward arrow (➘) indicates a fall in intonation and, an upward arrow (➚) indicates a rise in intonation.

Command

1. Write your roll number ➘here. 
2. Shut that ➘door. 
3. Throw this wrapper ➘out. 
4. Clean your ➘shoes. 
5. Show me your ➘homework. 

Statement

1. I do not want to live in England ➘ anymore. 
2. I am going to ➘ school. 
3. My mother wants to change her ➘car.
4. You look pretty in that ➘ dress. 
5. Snowfall is expected at the end of the ➘ week. 

Wh- questions

1. Where do you ➘ live? 
2. Whose books are ➘ those? 
3. How many friends do you ➘ have? 
4. When does the class ➘ end? 
5. How many houses do you ➘ own? 

Question tags (requesting confirmation) 

1. You think this book will help in exams. Don’t ➘you? 
2. I am sitting on the right broken bench, Aren't➘ I?
3. He hardly pays his fee. Does ➘he?
4. That bag is yours, isn't➘ it?
5. This shoe is not yours, ➘is it?

Exclamation 

1. So sweet of ➘you!
2. That’s the way I love ➘it!
3. What an amazing ➘view!
4. That is a ➘ surprise!

Rising intonation 

A rise in intonation occurs when the speaker raises its pitch at the end of the sentence.  Such kind of intonations is used in yes/no questions and tag questions (Real questions). Rising intonation express disbelief or anger.

Yes/ No questions 

1. Do you like that ➚girl? 
2. May I serve you ➚dinner? 
3. Do you work at the restaurant which was banned due to unhealthy food being served to the ➚children? 
4. Do you have any extra ➚pen? I lost mine. 
5. Would you like to take➚ tea? 

Question tags

1. You are an athlete. Aren’t ➚you? 
2. You like chicken. Don’t ➚you? 
3. The view from my room’s balcony was beautiful today. Wasn’t ➚it?
4. You bought a new bag yesterday. Didn’t ➚you? 
5. We are leaving at 5.00 pm for London. Aren’t ➚we?

Conclusion

To sound like a native speaker has always been a dream for students in many educational institutes. Intonations will help you sound more like a native speaker. Along with sentence stress and pronunciation, intonations are way more helpful.

The best way to improve your intonation is to record your voice and listen to it. You can do it by reading a short script and then decide, do you sound natural? Does it sound the way you hoped?