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Categories of Tonal Alignment in English

  • Janet B. Pierrehumbert and Shirley A. Steele
Published/Copyright: November 20, 2009
Phonetica
From the journal Phonetica Volume 46 Issue 4

Abstract

This paper reports the results of an inquiry into the question of category versus continuum in intonation. Variants of the English rise-fall-rise pattern were used to study whether tonal alignment is a categorical or gradient distinction. LPC resynthesis was used to construct a set of stimuli in which the alignment of the F₀ rise-fall varied in small steps. Subjects heard the stimuli in randomized order and imitated what they heard. The position of the F₀ peak relative to the onset of the stressed vowel was measured in each response. Systematic deviations between the peak placement in the stimuli and those in the responses revealed the existence of two categories. We conclude that tonal alignment functions as a binary distinction in English intonation.

verified

Received: 1987-08-31
Accepted: 1989-08-09
Published Online: 2009-11-20
Published in Print: 1989-07-01

© 1989 S. Karger AG, Basel

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Special Section
  2. Contents, Vol. 46, 1989
  3. Editorial
  4. Paper
  5. Perceived Strength and Identity of Foreign Accent in Swedish
  6. Perception and Production of English Vowels by German Learners: Instrumental-Phonetic Support in Language Teaching
  7. Aspects of Final Consonant Production in American English by Nonnative Speakers
  8. Categories of Tonal Alignment in English
  9. P-Center Judgments Are Generally Insensitive to the Instructions Given
  10. Naive Subjects’ Assignments of Stress Ranks
  11. The Influence of Pre- and Postplosive Fundamental Frequency on /t/–/d/ Perception in German
  12. Further Section
  13. Libri
  14. Index autorum
  15. Call for Papers
  16. Publications Received for Review
https://doi.org/10.1159/000261842

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Special Section
  2. Contents, Vol. 46, 1989
  3. Editorial
  4. Paper
  5. Perceived Strength and Identity of Foreign Accent in Swedish
  6. Perception and Production of English Vowels by German Learners: Instrumental-Phonetic Support in Language Teaching
  7. Aspects of Final Consonant Production in American English by Nonnative Speakers
  8. Categories of Tonal Alignment in English
  9. P-Center Judgments Are Generally Insensitive to the Instructions Given
  10. Naive Subjects’ Assignments of Stress Ranks
  11. The Influence of Pre- and Postplosive Fundamental Frequency on /t/–/d/ Perception in German
  12. Further Section
  13. Libri
  14. Index autorum
  15. Call for Papers
  16. Publications Received for Review
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