Rhythm: is the regular beat of the speech so speech is rhythmical.

There are 2 type of rhythm:

1. Syllable timed: syllable occurs at regular intervals ex: the French language is syllable
timed ex: /'je/ 'part/ 'a/ 'lecole /
2. stress timed: stress syllable occurs at regular intervals ex: English language is stress
times ex: I /'go to /'school to/'morrow (to'morrow)
In syllable timed languages, syllables have the same length, but in stress timed languages,
syllable might vary in length.
Feet: rhythm is organised into feet. Foot begins with stressed syllable and end with all the
unstressed ones ex: I /'want you to /'come with me/.
Isochrony: is the duration of the feet. Feet are isochronos. To achieve isochrony length of
syllables may vary. You have to pronounce the word (syllable) stressed as the same length of
the other words (syllables) not stressed, the syllable stressed is stretched and the syllables not
stressed are squeezed they will suffer: vowels reduction, vowel weakening, elision,
assimilation.
Sum up: rhythm and isochrony
I /'want you to /'come with me/

Foot
Squeezed= pronounced as the same length of time as want
Stretched

Rhythm alternation:
1. If a series of content words appear next to each other some stresses are dropped: he
has a 'big 'blue 'eye. He has a 'big blue 'eye

Dropped
2. If an utterance consists of a succession of unstressed function words, stresses are
added: he 'should have 'been 'here 'earlier.

Added

Sum up:
To maintain a regular rhythm two kinds of factures are involved.
distribution of stresses: to incuse rhythmic alternation
a) Stressed addition.
b) Dropping of stresses.
c) Stresses movement. Ex: Japa'nese 'student 'Japanese 'student
adjustment in length of some
a) Reduction of vowels.
b) Weak form.
c) Durational variation in the syllables in feet. Ex: /lead/ /leader/ /leadership/
Same length of time
Mon site: chanou.e-monsite.com