SUPRA SEGMENTAL PHONETICS:

Supra segmental phonetics also known as prosody, studies features of speech that
extend over more than one segment (consonant and vowels).these features ,
including stress, pitch(intonation), and rhythm, are crucial for conveying meaning,
emotion, and grammatical structure in spoken language. They are superimposed on
the segmental level (individual sound) and can significantly alter the meaning or
interpretation of an utterance. Supra segmental phonetics deals with stress, pitch,
rhythm, juncture and length, in which the concept of stress refers to a degree of
emphasis given to a syllable within a phrase. In English stress can change the
meaning of words. Pitch refers to the highness and lowness of a sound, which
contributes to intonation patterns. Intonation is the rise and fall of pitch in
connected speech and can indicate questions, statements, or emotional states.
Juncture refers to the way of sounds and words connect or separate in speech,
influencing how we perceive word boundaries and meaning. For example, “a
name” is distinct from “an aim” due to the juncture. While also a segmental
feature, length can be supra segmental when it extends across multiple sounds and
syllables can impact rhythm and emphasis.

In essence, supra-segmental is the melodic and rhythmic elements of speech that

add layers of meaning and nuance beyond the individual sound themselves.

 Syllabic formation and syllabic structure in English

 A syllable is one of the basic and essential units of spoken language,

serving as a fundamental component in the study of phonology and
phonetics. It is the building block of the words and play a central role in
pronunciation, stress, rhythm and intonation. Despite its simplicity the
syllable has a complex internal structure and behaves differently across
language.

 In phonology, a syllable is a unit of organization for speech sounds. It

typically contains a single vowel sound (which serves as the nucleus) and
 may include surrounding consonants. The most common definition
describes a syllable as a sound unit that consists of one or more phonemes,
with one phoneme being more sonorous (typically a vowel) than the others.
Peter Roach (2009) defines a syllable as "a unit of pronunciation typically
consisting of a vowel alone or a vowel with one or more consonant
sounds."

 Phonetically, syllables are easy to identify in spoken language, especially in

rhythmic or poetic speech. However, defining them precisely is complex
because they depend on a language's phonotactic rules. These rules dictate
which sounds can appear together and in what positions. The syllable
serves as a prosodic unit, organizing phonemes into larger units of speech.
Every syllable (in any language) has one sound, during the articulation of
which the lungs air escapes freely and continuously. This sound is usually a
vowel.

 Syllable formation and structure

 A syllable is formed around a vowel sound. It must contain a vowel. It must

contain a vowel (or a syllabic consonant). It must contain a vowel (or a
syllabic consonant), which acts as the nucleus of the syllable.

 Nucleus is the central and most sonorous part of the syllable, typically a
vowel. It is the only obligatory component; it is mark with the symbol ‘V’
while indicating the structures.

 The sound that occurs on one side or both sides of the vowel in a syllable
are consonant and they are marginal or optional elements in the structure of
a syllable; it is mark with the symbol ‘C’ while indicating the structure of
syllables. Releasing consonant or onset is the consonant that occurs before
 the vowel(nucleus). Asserting consonant or Coda is the consonant that
occurs after the vowel. Both onset and coda are optional in some language.

 In the transcribed version of the words, the mark \ ‘ \ indicates word accent,
i.e., the syllable that comes immediately after this mark is the accented
syllable.
 In phonology of English, permits a syllable to begin with the nucleus and
also up to a maximum of three consonants to begin a syllable. It also
permits a syllable to end with the nucleus or up to a maximum of four
consonants. So, we can say that the general formula for the structure of an
English syllable is C(0-3) V C (0-4)
 Examples-
 INK- /ɪŋk/ = VCC
 I - ̸ɑɪ ̸ = V
 STREETS - ̸ stri:ts̸ = CCCVCC
 Open and closed syllables: A syllable ending in a vowel, i.e., a syllable
without an arresting consonant is called an open syllable. A syllable which
ends in a consonant or in a consonant cluster is called closed syllable.
 Syllabic consonant: A consonant that takes place of vowel in the syllables
are called syllabic consonant. When a vowel is absent in a syllable, the
consonant sound like \ɪ\ , \n\ or \m\ function as vowel, because during the
articulation the lungs air does escape freely and continuously.
 Rhyme: the combination of the nucleus and coda is known as the Rhyme.
The onset and rhyme form a complete syllable. These components together
form a syllable.
 Syllable= Onset + Nucleus + Coda
 Example: Cat – Onset\k\ + Nucleus\ɶ\ + Coda \t\
 Syllable Weight and Stress : Syllables can be classified by weight, which
affects stress patterns and verse metrics. Light syllables: Contain a short
vowel, no coda (e.g., /ba/
 Heavy syllables: Contain a long vowel, diphthong, or a coda consonant
(e.g., /bæt/)
 In many languages, stress tends to fall on heavy syllables. English uses
both syllable weight and lexical rules to determine word stress -reCORD
(noun) vs REcord (verb)
 Cross-Linguistic variation in syllable structure: Languages vary widely in
the types of syllables they permit. Some languages, like Japanese and
Swahili, Favor simple syllables (typically CV), while others, like English
and Russian, allow more complex syllables with multiple consonants in the
onset and coda.The phonotactic rules of a language determine the possible
syllable types. For example, English allows complex onsets and codas,
whereas Hawaiian limits syllables to simple CV patterns.
 Syllabification and Prosody: Syllabification is the process of dividing
words into syllables. It is crucial for understanding stress patterns, meter in
poetry, and speech rhythm. Prosodic features like stress, tone, and
intonation operate at the syllabic level. In poetic meter, for example,
syllables determine rhythm and line length. In speech pathology and
language learning, awareness of syllables helps in diagnosing and treating
pronunciation difficulties. For instance, children often simplify syllable
structures (e.g., saying "pane" instead of "plane") during early language
development.
 Conclusion :Syllables are fundamental to the structure and function of
spoken language. Their formation and organization depend on universal
phonological principles and language-specific rules. By analysing syllables,
linguists can better understand phonotactic constraints, stress patterns, and
cross-linguistic differences. The study of syllables not only informs
theoretical linguistics but also has practical applications in language
teaching, speech therapy, and computational linguistics. Despite their
simplicity, syllables represent a rich area of study that bridges sound and
meaning in human language.
  Discussion about consonant clusters
A consonant cluster is when two or more consonant sounds occur in a word
without any vowel sound in between. These may appear at the beginning, middle,
or end of a word.

Types of Clusters:
1. Beginning (Initial Clusters)
These occur at the beginning of words:
Examples that contain two sounds:
stop (/st/),
blue (/bl/),
cloud (/kl/)

Examples that contain three sounds:

street (/str/),
splash (/spl/),
screw (/skr/)

2. Middle (Medial Clusters)

These appear in the middle:

basket (/sk/),
window (/nd/),
extra (/kstr/)
3. End (Final Clusters)
These occur at the end of words:
Examples that contain two sounds:
help (/lp/),
mask (/sk/),
hand (/nd/)

Examples that contain three sounds:

asked (/skt/),
texts (/ksts/),
banks (/ŋks/)

Rules in English
Not all clusters are permitted. Like, there isn't a word beginning with /ŋ/, or
clusters such as /bn/ or /kn/ at the start, although old words such as knight had
silent /k/

How Clusters Function in Actual Speech

Children omit sounds: stop → top
Some individuals with other accents or locations do it too, such as next → nes
Non-native English speakers might insert a vowel to simplify: school → iskool

Clusters and Sound Characteristics

Even though clusters are merely sounds, they do get influenced by things such as:
Stress: Cluster-containing words are typically clearer when stressed (strong).
Rhythm: There are too many clusters to make speech sound heavy.
Pitch: The pitch at times varies with the difficulty of a cluster to pronounce.

 Discussion about consonant germination

Gemination refers to the doubling or lengthening of a sound, usually a consonant,
during pronunciation. It comes from the Latin word geminare, meaning “to
double.”

In phonetics, gemination is the process where a sound, especially a consonant, is

pronounced for a longer period of time than a short, single sound.

● Example:

In Italian:

fato /ˈfa.to/ = "fate"

fatto /ˈfat.to/ = "done"

2. What is Consonant Gemination?

Consonant gemination is specifically the doubling or lengthening of a consonant

sound. It occurs within a word or across word boundaries.

There are two types:

1. Lexical gemination: Occurs within a word as part of its normal pronunciation.

2. Sandhi gemination: Happens across word boundaries in connected speech.

● Examples:

Italian: anno [ˈan.no] “year” vs. ano [ˈa.no] “anus” — a clear contrast due to
geminated [nn]

Japanese: kita (came) vs. kitta (cut) — [tt] is a geminated consonant.

Gemination serves different purposes depending on the language, such as:

1. Distinguishing word meanings (as in Japanese, Italian, Arabic)

2. Marking grammatical forms (e.g., in Arabic verb forms)

3. Stylistic or poetic effect

English does not generally have phonemic consonant gemination, meaning

doubling a consonant doesn't usually change word meaning. However, gemination
can occur phonetically (in actual pronunciation), especially at word boundaries.

● Examples of non-phonemic gemination in English:

“big game” → [bɪgː geɪm] (the [g] might be held longer)

“unnecessary” → sometimes pronounced as [ʌnˈnɛsəˌsɛri] with a long [n].

But this doubling doesn’t change the meaning of the word, so English is not
considered a geminating language.

Reasons English lacks gemination:

1. Sound change history: Old English had more morphological complexity, but
Modern English lost many distinctions that needed gemination.

2. Syllable structure preference: English prefers simple syllables and avoids

complex geminate patterns.

3. Stress-based rhythm: English relies more on stress and intonation than

consonant length for contrast.(in some languages and dialects)

■ Languages with consonant gemination:

Italian: Lexical (word-meaning)

fato (fate) vs. fatto (done)

Japanese: Lexical

kita(come) vs. kitta(cut)

Arabic: Grammatical & lexical

kataba(wrote) vs. kattaba(made someone write)

Finnish: Lexical

tuli (fire) vs. tulli (customs)

Hungarian : Lexical

megy (goes) vs. meggy (sour cherry)

Turkish: Lexical

kar (snow) vs. kâr (profit, with long consonant in connected forms).

 Discussion of syllabic consonant

A Syllabic consonant is a constant that has the quality of a vowel, that's why it is
also called as a vocalic consonant.

A syllabic consonant can therefore form a syllable on its own, without the need of
another "real" vowel, meaning it functions like a vowel in that syllable. Usually,
vowels form the core of a syllable, but in certain cases, consonants especially -
nasal and liquids can take over that role, especially in unstressed syllables in
English.

Usually the nucleus the peak of a syllable is a vowel sound. But sometimes the
nucleus can be a syllabic consonant, so instead of a vowel, we have a very special
consonant called a syllabic consonant. It's usually replacing the schwa sound. So a
syllabic consonant replaces the schwa in an unstressed syllable. The new syllabic
consonant becomes the nucleus of the syllable.
What are the syllabic consonants:

:- The Syllabic consonants are

Liquid consonants = [l], [r]

Nasal Consonants = [m], [n], or [ ]

Example: Syllabic - [m]

rhythm

bottom

Syllabic [n]: Example

Button
frighten

Syllabic [ ]: Example

Broken

This syllabic consonant is rare. It is possible, but it does not always form.

Syllabic -[l]: Example

Bottle

Bagel

Syllabic [ l ] is usually found in an unstressed syllable after the following

consonants:
/t/ - /s/ - /d/ - /z/ - /p/ - /k/ - /b/ - / /

Syllabic [r]:

This usually occurs in Rhotic accents. American English accents are rhotic /r/is

pronounced every where but the British English accent is non-rhotic /r/ is not
pronounced unless it's followed by a vowel or appears at the beginning of the word
or syllable. Syllabic r is wide spread in rhotic accent. Words with -ar, -er, -re,-ir,-
or,-yr,-our have syllabic [r].

Difference between a syllable and a syllabic Consonant.

A syllable contains a vowel sound, a syllable consonant doesn't contain a vowel

sound. It replaces the vowel Sound in that syllable.

The problem of spelling syllabic consonants

: Syllabic L ending: Idle/idol

Syllabic R ending: altar / alter

Such ending can constitute a problem as there is no difference in pronunciation.

Can a word contain several syllabic consonants?

- Yes, some words have two syllabic. consonants together,

ex: national

literal

Veteran

livetron

Conclusion:

To conclude the discussion we can safely claim that the vowel is the obligatory
element in a syllable, though sometimes consonant cluster form the Syllable, a
consonant can also be the nucleus of syllable .In a syllable a consonant, is
marginal, optional.

Discussion of word-accent
Understanding the role of word accent also known as word stress is fundamental in
mastering English pronunciation. Word accent refers to the emphasis placed on a
particular syllable within a word. This emphasis is realized through greater
loudness, higher pitch and prominent than the others. Accurate placement of stress
not only ensures clear communication but also contribute to the natural rhythm of
English speech.

1. General Rules of Word Accent

In most English words, one syllable is stressed more than the others. That syllable
stands out because it's said a little louder, a little longer and sometimes at a slightly
higher pitch.

a. Single Syllable Words: All single- syllable words are generally stressed when
spoken in isolation.

Example- run, book, fast.

b. Disyllable Words: Many verbs fall into this category, often with the stress on the
first or second syllable depending on the word's structure and origin.

Example- LIS-ten ( the stress is typically on the first "Lis" syllable)

be-COME ( the stress is on the second syllable "come")

Many words can function as both nouns and adjectives and some of these are
disyllabic.

Example- TA-ble ( the stress is typically on the first syllable "TA" syllable)

HAP-py ( the stress is typically on the first syllable "HAP")

c. Trisyllable Words: In longer words, stress often falls on the root, while prefixes
and suffixes remain unstressed.

Example- ad- DI- tion ( unstressed first syllable "ad" stressed second syllable "DI"
unstressed final syllable "tion")
d. Common suffix patterns: words ending in -tion, -sion etc. typically carry stress
on the syllable before the suffix.

Example- oc- CA- sion ( the first syllable 'oc' is unstressed second syllable 'LEC' is
stressed final syllable 'sion' is unstressed)

Se-LEC-tion ( the first syllable 'se' is unstressed

Second syllable 'LEC' is stressed final syllable 'tion' is unstressed)

e. Compund Nouns: Every compund noun is two or more words that come together
to form a noun. These separate words do not necessarily have to be nouns
themselves all they have to do is communication a specific person, place, idea or
thing. The primary stress generally falls on the first part of the word.

Example- RAIL- road ( the first syllable"RAIL" is stressed

The second syllable"road" is unstressed)

2. Primary and Secondary Accent

In long words, it's common to hear more than one stressed syllable. But not all
stresses are equal.

* The primary stress is the strongest and most prominent.

* The secondary stress is weaker but still more noticeable tham u stressed
syllables.

Example- Selection

Syllable division: Se-LEC-tion

Phonetic transcription: /səˈlɛkʃən/

Stress pattern: the primary stress falls on the second syllable - se- LEC- tion
3. English vs Bengali: How Rhythm changes Accent

An important reason why English stress patterns feel tricky to many Indian
learners, including Bengali speakers, is the difference in speech rhythm between
the two languages.

a. English is stress-Timed: In English, the rhythm is based on stressed syllables.

This means that stressed syllables come at roughly equal time intervals, even if
there are many unstressed syllables between them. To keep the rhythm, the
unstressed syllables get reduced.

Example- she went to the market in the morning.

Even though the sentence has many syllables, the stressed syllables - went, market,
morning are spaced evenly and the rest are shortened.

In addition, English frequently reduces unstressed vowels to a weak form known as

the schwa/ə /

•to go - /tuː ɡəʊ/

* for a while - /fə ˈeɪ ˈwaɪl/

b. Bengali as a syllable -Timed Language: In contrast, Bengali is syllable - timed.

Every syllable is pronounced with nearly equal time and weight, regardless of
stress.

Example- সে বাজারে সেল েকারল।

Each syllable - সে - বা - জা - সে - সেল - ে - কা - সল is given equal duration.

There is little vowel reduction or stress variation. This makes the rhythm more
even and regular.

c. Implications for Learners:

This rhythmic difference often causes Bengali speakers to:

* Over pronounce every syllable in English.

* Place stress on the wrong syllable( example - IN-formation instead of in- for-
MA- tion)

* Ignore natural reductions and linking in connected speech.

Thus, understanding word accent is especially important for Learners from

Syllable - timed language backgrounds, as it helps them adapt to the natural
rhythm of English speech.

4. Conclusion- Understanding word accent is a key part of speaking and

understanding English clearly. Knowing which syllable to stress helps us sound
more natural, improves our pronounciation and makes communication easier.
Since English follows a stress-Timed rhythm, unlike Bengali and many Indian
languages, it's important for Learners to pay attention to stress patterns. By
learning the basic rules, noticing stress in longer words and practicing regularly,
we can build stronger speaking and listening skills that sound more fluent and
confident.

 Discussion of connected speech

Introduction

'Connected speech' refers to an

utterance made up to several words, when they are used together in a sentence or a
phrase rather than in isolation. In phonology connected speech is a crucial part of
spoken language, as it has an impact on the sounds that are produced and
perceived.

■Accent and rhythm in connected speech:

Accent and rhythm play a vital role in connective speech.

●Accent

In connected speech , we can find accentual features that are similar to the
accentual features of polysyllabic words said in isolation, one

Syllable stands out from the rest. For example , submit , the second syllable is
more prominent than the first, so the second syllable of the word receives the
accent.

Similarly , in connected speech , some words stand out from the rest. If in a
connected speech several syllables are prominent only one will receive the primary
or tonic accent.

Non tonic accent is marked with usual stress mark [ ' ] , and tonic accent is marked
with [ ` ]. For example:

He `came.

'Meet me at `ten

I 'ran a `race

'Sing a `song

●Rhythm

English is said to have a stress timed rhythm. In an English utterance the strong
and prominent or accented syllables have the tendency to occur at regular intervals
of time, ir

Respective of week or unaccented syllables.

For example

You have 'wasted your oppor`tunities.

This sentence has five syllables , two of which have received accent. After the first
two unaccented syllables, there is a syllable with non-tonic accent and again after
two unaccented syllables there is a syllable with tonic accent.
■How connected speech is used in intonation?

Connected speech helps into nation by smoothing transitions between words which
helps maintain the rhythm and melody of speech

●Maintaining the rhythm and stress pattern:

Connected speech helps to maintain the rhythm in a sentence by blending the

unaccented syllables into each other keeping the speech flowing smoothly. This
blending helps the speaker maintaining natural stress timed rhythm. For example:

Did you 'see it?

The rise in pitch on "see" is more noticeable because the surrounding words are
reduced through connected speech.

●Transitions between words inside a tone unit seamless:

Intonation often breaks speech into tone units or intonation phrases—groups of

words that go together in meaning and rhythm. Connected speech makes the
transitions between words inside a tone unit seamless, so intonation flows naturally
across the phrase.

For example:

I’d 'like a cup of tea.

Connected speech allows the intonation to rise on "like" and fall at the end of the
sentence, creating a smooth and natural sound.
  Discussion of Intonation
In suprasegmental phonetics, intonation is analyzed in terms of its phonetic
realization—that is, how pitch rises and falls are produced by the speaker.

For example, a rising intonation at the end of a sentence may indicate a yes/no
question (“Are you coming?”), whereas a falling intonation often signals a
statement (“I am coming.”). Thus, intonation is essential for effective oral
communication, as it influences how speech is perceived and understood by
listeners.

Tone Language vs. Intonation Language

In some languages, changing the pitch contour(level (e.g high, mid, low) or contour
(falling or rising) on a particular word can change the lexical meaning. Each word or
morpheme has its tone, and in suprasegmental analysis, the main phonological unit
would be the syllable. so in Mandarin Chinese, for example, “ma” with a high level
tone means “mother” while “ma” with a low rising tone is “hemp” and “ma” with a
low falling tone is “scold”. Such languages are known as tone languages, and many of
the world's languages, especially in south Southeast Asia (e.g Chinese, Thai and
Vietnamese) and Africa(e.g Bantu)are tonal.

In intonation languages like English, tones are only found on a small number of
prominent syllables in connected speech. They do not generally change the lexical
meaning of a word but can affect the interpretation of an utterance in terms of the
speaker's intended meaning.

The Structure (Form) of Intonation in Suprasegmental Phonetics

The structure or form of intonation refers to the different components that make up the pitch pattern of
an utterance.

The form of intonation is typically divided into four main components:

1. Pitch Level

 Refers to the overall height of the speaker’s voice.

 It can be high, mid, or low, depending on the speaker’s natural pitch and emotional state.
 It sets the tone of the speech: a higher pitch may indicate excitement, while a lower pitch may
suggest seriousness.

2. Pitch Range
  Describes how much the pitch varies within an utterance.
 A wide pitch range often shows enthusiasm, surprise, or emphasis.
 A narrow pitch range may indicate boredom, flatness, or neutrality.

3. Intonation Contour (Tone Unit or Intonation Pattern)

This is the most important structural part. It includes:

a. Pre-head (optional)

 Unstressed syllables that come before the first stressed syllable

 Example: "In the end," (in the = pre-head)

b. Head

 Begins at the first stressed syllable and continues up to the nucleus

 Carries rhythmic and pitch information
 Example: "Theweather was fine." (weather = head start)

c. Nucleus (Tonic Syllable)

 It carries the main pitch movement (falling, rising, etc.)

 This is the core of meaning or focus
 Example: "He was angry." (angry = nucleus)

d. Tail (optional)

 Any syllables that come after the nucleus

 Example: “He was angry with me.” (with me = tail)

4. Tonic Movement (Pitch Movement)

 Refers to how the pitch moves on the nucleus.
 It determines the intonation pattern (falling, rising, fall-rise, rise-fall).

Pattern Symbol Function Example

Falling ↘ Statements, certainty “I know.” (↘)
Rising ↗ Yes/no questions, uncertainty “Are you sure?” (↗)
Fall-Rise ↘↗ Doubt, politeness, contrast “I might…” (↘↗)
Rise-Fall ↗↘ Strong emotion, surprise “Really?!” (↗↘)

A good way of representing intonation for practical teaching purpose is a system of

dots (denoting approximately level pitches)and curves (denoting rising and falling
intonation)placed above each syllable of phonetic transcription. It is convenient to
place these marks on a stave of three lines the upper and lower lines representing
the upper and lower limits of the voice and the middle line representing an
intermediate pitch. It is advantageous to show the stress on intonation-graph . This
is conveniently done by indicating the strongly stressed syllable by large dots . If
syllable with a rising or falling intonation is strongly stressed this may be shown
by placing a large dot on the appropriate part of the curve (generally at the
beginning) so when a curve has no dot attached to it , it is to be understood that the
syllable is unstressed. Example: Picture

Normal form (Tune 2)

Picture:

It will be observed that the characteristics of unmodified tune 1 are as follows: 1.

Initial unstressed syllables are rather low, and when there are two or more they are
all said on about the same pitch. 2. The stressed syllables form a descending
sequence of notes the first being on a rather high level pitch and the last having a
falling intonation.

(Tune 2)

Picture:

It will be observed that the characteristics feature of tune 2 are as follows: 1.

Initial unstressed syllables are rather low, as in the case of tune 1 2. When there is
more than one stressed syllable the first has rather a high pitch. The intervening
syllables (both stressed and unstressed) are said on a descending sequence of notes.

Parentheses

Expression of a parenthetical nature have no particular intonation of their own.

They share the intonation that the main sentence would have if the parenthesis
were not there. Thus a parenthesis occurring at the end of a sequence requiring
tune 1 is said on a low level pitch to which the last stressed syllable falls. A
parenthesis occurring at the end of a sequence requiring tune 2 shares in the rise
with which the tune 1 terminates.

Example:

Picture:

Interjections

Interjections are exclamatory phrases take as a rule the intonation of the complete
sentences to which they are equivalent.

Examples:

Picture:

Incorrect forms of intonation hard from foreign learners:

 The mistakes of intonation made by foreign people when they speak English are
very varied. The following are few

Examples: French people often employ an intonation of the type

Picture:

Conclusion

In conclusion intonation plays vital role in spoken communication. It goes beyond

the words we use adding emotion intension, and meaning to our speech. By
understanding and mastering intonation patterns such as rising falling and fall rise
we can express ourselves more effectively, avoid misunderstandings, and enhance
our overall fluency. Weather in daily conversation or public speaking. Intonation
helps bring language to life, making it an essential part of clear and expressive
communication.

In English language intonation is a crucial aspect of speaking, which refers to the

variation in pitch. There are some components of intonation: 1. Pitch, 2. Tone Unit,
3. Tonic Syllable and 4. Nuclear Tone.

ROLE OF INTONATION IN COMMUNICATION

Intonation helps us in speaking clearly and adds emotions to our speech. The main
point is it avoids ambiguity and plays a major work in natural –speech sounding.

Generally speaking, in a falling tone or level sequence the stressed syllable are
slightly higher in pitch than the unstressed or intermediately stressed. This can be
shown be by an example:

It was yesterday. It was today.

 Was it yesterday? Was it today?

HOW INTONATION IS USED IN CONNECTED SPEECH

The natural and flowing way in which we use words in our speaking language in
our everyday language is called the connected speech. In these connected speech
intonation plays a vital role for making our conversation expressive, structured and
meaningful.

 When we speak through connected speech, intonation makes division in our

speech into ‘intonation units’ and ‘tone groups’. This process helps the
listeners to process information part by part.
Example:
“When she arrived everyone stood up and the music began”
--Here the falling tone at the end of each unit marks the completion of
each thought.
 In a long conversation speech, intonation shown the main part of the
sentence which is new, important or contrastive.

“I gave the book to Ram”. (Focus on book)

“I gave the book to Ram”(Focus on Ram)
“I gave the book to Ram”(mixed-not showed)

STRONG AND WEAK WORDS IN INTONATION

In spoken English some words are naturally strong (stressed) and others are weak
(unstressed). This plays a vital role in English.

STRONG WORDS

I bought a newcar yesterday.

These are the stressed words in this sentence which can carry the intonation
movement.

WEAK WORDS

He can go to the market

he, can, to and the are the weak words in this sentence because they help to
maintain the rhythm in this sentence.

Example:

I have to go to the store and buy some milk.

STRESSED WORDS: Go, Store, Buy, Milk

SUPRA-SEGMENTAL PHONETICS DIFFICULTIES FOR INDIAN

SPEAKERS IN SPEAKING ENGLISH

There are many Indian learners of English, who faces phonetic challenges due to
the differences between the native phonological systems (e.g. Hindi, Bengali Tamil
etc.) and English phonology. They often faces challenges in pronunciation, stress,
rhythm and intonation.

1. Many Indian languages don’t clearly distinguish between consonant

sounds.

Example: ‘Vine’ pronounced as ‘Wine’

‘West’ pronounced as ‘vest’

2. Many Indians may confusion between diphthongs and monophthongs.

Besides these difficulties if one can do a focus training, listen properly the English
language, it will make the person clearer and more confident in speaking language.

 EXAMPLES AND ACTIVITIES

1) Nature is everything around us that makes life possible and beautiful. It

includes the air we breathe, the weather we feel, the plants, animals, and
everything we see outside. We call it "Mother Nature" because, like a
mother, it provides us with everything we need, such as food, clothes, and
shelter.

2) Maria looked out the window and said, “It’s going to rain again.” Her voice
dropped at the end, sounding certain. Then she turned to her brother and
asked, “Do we have an umbrella?” with a questioning tone. He replied
slowly, “Maybe we do…” as if unsure. Maria laughed and added, “Oh
really?!” clearly surprised and amused by his answer.
  The comparison between Indian language with English
language in supra segmental phonetics:
Indian language and English differ significantly in the supra segmental phonology,
particularly regarding stress and rhythm .most Indian languages are syllable timed,
meaning each syllable receives relatively equal stress, while English is a stress
times syllable, where stressed syllables are prominent and unstressed syllables are
reduce. This difference can lead to challenges for native speakers of Indian
languages when learning English pronunciation.

 The difference between segmental and supra segmental

phonetics:
Segmental phonetics focuses on individual speech sound (consonant and vowels),
while supra segmental phonetics examines features that examines that extend over
multiple segments, such as stress, intonation and rhythm. In essence, segmental
phonetics analyzes the individual sound and supra segmental phonetics analyzes
how those sounds are combined and modified.

 Conclusion:

In conclusion, we can safely conclude that supra segmental phonetics explores the
elements of speech that extend beyond individual sounds, focusing on aspects such
as pitch, stress, and duration. These features influence the meaning and
comprehension of spoken language, making them critical components of
communication.