Intonation in American English: Two-Word Expressions
Listen and Learn: The Intonation of Two-Word Expressions
Many people think that pronunciation is what makes up an
accent. It may be that pronunciation is very important for an
understandable accent. But it is intonation that
gives the final touch that makes an accent correct or
native.
Intonation is the "music" of a language, and is perhaps the most
important element of a correct accent. Often we hear someone
speaking with perfect grammar, and perfect formation of the
sounds of English but with a little something that gives her
away as not being a native speaker. Therefore, it is necessary
to realize that there is more than the correct pronunciation of
the vowels and consonants of a language. This is very important
and we do stress it in other articles. But it is only one of the
three components to an accent, pronunciation, intonation,
and linking.
In other places we will examine the correct pronunciation of
vowels and consonants, and linking, the way that syllables
within a word, and the beginning and ending of words come
together. But in this article we will look at how the difference
that intonation makes in the daily use of a proper North
American English accent. The practice will help you to notice,
practice, and master the different intonation patterns that you
will discover as you concentrate more on your use of North
American English.
Two Word Stress Knowing when and where to stress the
words you use is very important for understanding, and
therefore, as part of a good accent. A clear example is that of
stress in two word expressions. According to whether it is an
ordinary two-word expression or a special, set
expression, the place of the stress changes. In an ordinary
expression the two words are used to describe something like a
"white HOUSE" (meaning a house that is painted white, and not
blue or gray). In this case the most important note is the
noun because we are talking about a house that
happens to be white. Similarly, a "fat BOY" is an overweight
young male.
But sometimes short two word expressions are set or
"consecrated", (that is, they mean something special) and
have to be made different from similar expressions. One example
is "the WHITE house" where Mr. Bush lives. In this case, the
emphasis is on the adjective because we are more
interested in stressing that it is the house that is known
because it is white. In the same way, "FAT boy" is the
nickname of a boy, chosen because the word fat emphasizes
his weight.
It will be useful for you to be aware of both types of two word
expressions. Here is a list of a few that will get you thinking
and give you some practice in identifying them and using them
correctly. Underline the syllable that is stressed, and write a
brief explanation, for both uses of each phrase. I start the
exercise with two examples. You do the rest. Make sure you say
the phrases OUT LOUD! WHITE house In Washington
white HOUSE House painted white
LIGHT bulb Shines with electricity
Light BULB A bulb that is not heavy
Now do these, underling the syllable that is stressed, and
defining the word that has the indicated intonation.
Dark room, Dark room
A cold fish, A gold fish
The paper box, The paper box
An old key, A door key
A nice watch, A wrist watch
A sticky web, A spider web
A clean cup, A coffee cup
A toy gun, A water gun
A bright star, A movie star
A new ball, A foot ball
A sharp knife, A steak knife
An old brush, A hair brush
A dry leaf, A fig leaf
A pointy tack, A thumb tack
A blackboard, A black board
A green house, A green house
For more articles on intonation, search with the keyword
"intonation".