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13.3 Intonation: definition, approaches, functions

Intonation is a complex unity of non-segmental, or
prosodic features of speech:

1. melody, pitch of the voice;
2. sentence stress;

3. temporal characteristics;

4. rhythm;
5. timbre.

Intonation organizes a sentence, determines communicative

types of sentences and clauses, divides sentences into intonation
groups, gives prominence to words and phrases, expresses

contrasts and attitudes.
Functions of intonation

• Emotional function's most obvious role is to express
attitudinal meaning – sarcasm, surprise, shock, anger, interest,

and thousands of other semantic nuances.

• Grammatical function helps to identify grammatical
structure in speech, performing a role similar to punctuation.

• Informational function helps to draw attention to what
meaning is given and what is new in an utterance. The word

carrying the most prominent tone in a contour signals the part of
an utterance that the speaker is treating as new information.

• Textual function helps larger units of meaning than the

sentence to contrast and cohere. In radio news-reading,
paragraphs of information can be shaped through the use of

pitch. In sports commentary, changes in prosody reflect the

progress of the action.
• Psychological function helps us to organize speech into

units that are easier to perceive and memorize. Most people
would find a sequence of numbers, for example, difficult to

recall. The task is made easier by using intonation to chunk the
sequence into two units.

• Indexical function, along with other prosodic features, is

an important marker of personal or social identity. Lawyers,

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