Simple Information in Intonation

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Intonation Every language has melody in it; no language is spoken on the same musical note all the time. The voice goes up and down and the different notes of the voice combine to make tunes. In some languages the tune mainly belongs to the word, being part of its shape, and if the tune of the word is wrong its shape is spoiled. The Chinese languages are like this and so are many others in south-east Asia, Africa and America. In these languages the same sounds said with different tunes may make quite different words. For instance, the utterance /ma:/ in Mandarin Chinese means mother if said with a level tune but means horse with a rising tune. In many other languages, of which English is one, the tune belongs not to the word but to the word group. If you say the word (No) with different tunes it is still the same word, but nevertheless tune plays an important part in English. A word group can be said definitely, hesitantly, angrily or kindly. It can be said with or without interest. The words do not change their meaning but the tune we use adds something to the words, and what it adds is the speaker’s feelings at that moment; this way of using tunes is called intonation. English intonation is not the same as the intonation of any other language. We need to know the tune shape, and the meaning of the English tunes. (Thank you) if the voice starts high and ends low, it would reflect real gratitude, but if the opposite it reflects rather casual acknowledgment. Now what is the difference between tone and tune? According to Oxford American Dictionary tone |tōn| noun 1 the overall quality of a musical or vocal sound: the piano tone appears monochrome or lacking in warmth. • A modulation of the voice expressing a particular feeling or mood: a firm tone of voice. • A manner of expression in writing: there was a general tone of ill-concealed glee in
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