The Scandent Scale

In the Scandent Scale every stress-tone unit is said on an ascending sequence, the accented syllables taking level pitches. The high pre-head often begins it.

e.g. ¯It’s really very funny.

Note. In monosyllabic stress-tone units the pitch rises during the syllable.

e.g. I hate doing nothing.

The Scandent Scale is used in colloquial speech. It sounds lively, playful, encouraging. Yet it may also convey surprise, irritation and even irony (together with the intensified stress and widened temporal range).

The Scandent Scale is used in any communicative type of utterance, giving it an emotional colouring. It can be combined with any terminal tone except for the Fall-Rise, but the preference is given to the Falling Tones. The High Level or High Ascending Pre-Heads often precede it.

e.g. There is no need to lose your temper.

¯Wherever had it come from.

According to its direction the Scandent Scale can be:

• Descending

• Ascending

• Level

According to its regularity the Scandent Scale can be also of two types:

• Regular

• Broken

The Level Scale

The Level Scale according to its pitch can be of three types:

• The Low Level

• The High Level

• The Mid Level

According to the arrangement of unstressed syllables within every stress-tone unit the Level Scale can also be Sliding and Scandent.

In the Low Level Scale all the stress-tone units are said on a Low Pitch-Level. The unstressed syllables take the same pitch. The Low Level Scale can be combined with any simple terminal tone, but the preference is given to the Low Fall, the Low Rise, the Low Level Tone. It can be used in any communicative type of utterance. This Scale is characteristic of colloquial speech.

The Low Level Scale combined with the Low Fall sounds uninterested, phlegmatic or sometimes cool, and reserved (supported by the intensified stress and slowed tempo).

e.g. He promised to come in time. (phlegmatic)

Did he promise to come in time? (reserved)

Did he promise to come? (cool)

The Low Level Scale followed by the Low Rise sounds disapproving, skeptical and sometimes perfunctory.

e.g. I can’t give permission for that. (disapproving)

Can you give permission for that? (perfunctory)

Who can give permission for that?  (disapproving)

Very nice permission! (skeptical)

The Low Level Scale followed by the Low Level tone sounds pathetic (when it is supported by the increase in stress and a slow tempo). It is used in recitation.

In the High Level scale all the stress-tone units are said on a high pitch level, the unstressed syllables taking the same pitch. The High Level Scale can be combined with any simple terminal tone but the High Fall is most frequent. This intonation pattern is characteristic of emotional speech. It can be used in any communicative types of utterance. It sounds decisive, joyful or even irritable.

Terminal Tones

Nuclear tones that finish any syntagm according to their function can be terminal or non-terminal.

The terminal tone is variation in pitch produced during the final stress-tone unit of the terminal intonation groups.

The terminal tone is an inseparable part of any intonation contour, because its main function is to distinguish the communicative types of utterances.

According to their structure the terminal tones fall into two types:

• Consisting of the nucleus only:

e.g. He is free.

• Consisting of the nucleus with the tail:

e.g. He is busy.

According to the direction of the pitch change they fall into three principal groups:

• The group of falling tones:

The Low Fall /m/ (simple tone)

The High Fall /m/ (simple tone)

The Rise-Fall /m/ (complex tone)

• The group of rising tones:

The Low Rise / m/ (simple tone)

The High Rise / m/ (simple tone)

The Fall-Rise / m/ (complex tone)

• The group of the level tones:

The Low Level /m/ (simple tone)

The Mid Level /m/ (simple tone)

The High Level /m/ (simple tone)