1.5. Specifics of the Pre-nuclear Pitch Change (the Head)

The head of the intonation-group stretches from the first fully stressed syllable and extends up to the nucleus. The first fully stressed syllable with which the head begins is often referred to as the on-set. The head occurs in a very high proportion of intonation-groups.

The head plays an important part in converying the speaker’s attitude towards the listener, the subject-matter and situation. It is relevant for expressing the modal meaning of an utterance. The head performs this function in close cooperation with the terminal (nuclear) tone.

The head is the most variable part of the intonation group. First of all heads vary in respect to overall length: they may consist of one to thirty and more syllables. Descriptions and classifications of heads are based on the following major criteria:

1. the general contour of pitch movement over head;

2. the pitch movement within each rhythm group;

3. the distribution of relative prominence among the semantic items, which ultimately reflects the number of full and partial stresses in the head.

1. According to the first criterion head patterns in English are classified into:

   • Descending

• Ascending

• Level

2. According to the second criterion the classification of head patterns includes the following types:

   • Stepping (steps)

• Sliding

• Climbing (scandent)

3. According to the criterion of relative prominence (stress) distribution heads are subdivided into:

One-peak	 □ □ □ 	- the on-set of the head bears a full stress
	head nucleus
Double-peak	□  □ □  □ □ □ □ □  □	- the semantically important words are made equally prominent
	head nucleus tail
Mixed	□ □  □ □ □  □  □ □	- there are both full and partial stresses in this mixed type of head
	head nucleus tail

These patterns are listed as the most typical in English:

• The Gradually Descending Stepping Head – is characteristic of only some kinds of English: written texts being read aloud, formal speeches, lecturing or some other kind of didectic monologue.

• The High Head – all the syllables are said on the same rather high pitch. There is only one fully stressed syllable, i.e. one-peak prominence. This is commonly used in conversation, where it occurs more frequently than the Stepping Head.

• The Broken Descending Stepping Head. The break generally occurs on any fully stressed syllable beginning with the 3d one. The effect of an upward break is achieved by pronouncing one of the stressed syllables on a rather higher pich level than the preceding one. This syllable is said to carry such a special or “accidental” rise. The upward break is usually made on words that should be singled out on account of their emotional colouring or unusual degree of some quality, quantity, unexpected actions.

• The Ascending Stepping Head. Each of the stressed syllables of the Ascending head takes a static stress pitched higher than the preceding one, so that the on-set syllable occupies the lowest pitch in the head. This kind of head is typically combined with the High Pitch Falling or Rising nuclear tones. The peculiarities of the given prosodic pattern impart some specific modal connotations to an utterance. There is often a feeling of surprise, protest or a note of impatience.

• The Low Head. In the Low Head all the syllables - stressed and unstressed - are pronounced in the low pitch zone of the speaker’s voice-range. The Low Head is used in combination with Low nuclear tones which are often of a narrow variety. The whole utterance with the Low Head is pronounced within a narrow voice-range. Such utterances produce an impression of smaller overall prominence and often convey a cool, detached, phlegmatic, disapproving and disinterested attitude of the speaker.

Note: in the Low Head gradation of stresses into full and partial is not relevant.

• The Sliding Head. The Sliding Head is formed by a sequence of slides (downward pitch changes) associated with each fully stressed syllable of the head. The most frequent variety of this pattern is the descending sliding head.

In the Gradually Descending Sliding Head each preceding stressed syllable starts on a highter pitch than the following one. This kind of the descending head is rather jumpy.

Note: when a full stress is given only to the first notional word and the others are given partial stresses (one-peak head), the pitch pattern of the head is falling rather than sliding.

The Gradually Descending Sliding Head and its Falling variant are widely used in lively expressive conversation and in reading aloud emotionally coloured texts. The Sliding Head and its Falling variant are most frequently combined with the Falling-Rising Tone, though they may occur with any of the other nuclear tones as well.

• The Climbing (Scandent) Head. This head is formed by a sequence of ‘climbs’, i.e. upward pitch changes. These upward movements are realized either within the stressed syllable or on the unstressed syllables which are then pronounced on a higher pitch than the preceding stressed syllable. The stressed syllables may be on the same level (Level Climbing Head) or may form a descending or an ascending contour (the Descending Climbing Head and the Ascending Climbing Head respectively). The first variety (the Level Climbing Head) is more widely heard in speech than the other two. One-peak variety of the Climbing Head is sometimes called the Rising Head.

Utterances pronounced with the Climbing (Scandent) Head sound lively and expressive. The exact modal connotation conveyed by this Head depends on the nuclear tone and the communicative type of utterance.

Combined with High Rise in ‘Yes-No’ questions the Climbing Head often expresses surprise, incredulity.

Combined with the Low Rise in imperative utterances this Head has a reassuring, encouraging meaning and is often used in speaking to children. The Climbing Head before the falling nuclear tone may express the speaker’s irritation or cheerfulness and interest (the exact meaning stands out clearly from the context).

Try and focus on these examples:

• The Gradually Descending Stepping Head

- What is Received Pronounciation – (mixed prominence)

• The High Head

- the 'Album of the Year (one-peak)

• The Broken Descending Stepping Head

- by con'tributing to the 'maintenance of ↑inter˙national 'peace and stability

• The Ascending Stepping Head

- of what de'velopmental trends

• The Low Head

- for you to make good presentations

• The Sliding Head

- which is not really the same as either of these

• The Falling Head

- that noone ever really believes

• The Climbing Head

- we are essentially taking the model

• The Rising Head

- what criteria you use