The Sliding Scale

In the Sliding Scale every stress-tone unit is said on a sliding sequence, the accented syllables take level pitches.

e.g. He wrote a letter on Monday morning.

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

e.g. Mike knows better.

The Slidindg Scale is often used in conversation.

It gives additional prominence to every accented word and sounds weighty and excited. It can be used in any communicative type of utterance, and can be combined with any terminal tone, but the preference is given to the Low Fall, High Fall and Fall-Rise. The High Descending Prehead often precedes it.

e.g. Mike knows it better.

Mike knows it better.

Mike knows better.

According to its direction the Sliding Scale can be:

• The Descending Sliding Scale.

e.g. I had such an exciting afternoon.

• The Ascending Sliding Scale.

e.g. As a matter of fact I’m nearly sixty.

• The Level Sliding Scale.

e.g. I didn’t find the shoes anywhere.

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

• Regular

• Broken

e.g. Long enough to ↑soak us to the skin.

He’s a first-year student of the ↑English department.

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.