THE TONE-UNIT

THE TONE-UNIT
MAIN FEATURES
1. IT MIGHT HAVE ONE OR MORE SYLLABLES.
2. IT CARRIES THE INTONATION
3. IT ALWAYS HAS A TONIC SYLLABLE.
4. IT MAY HAVE A PRE-HEAD, A HEAD AND A TAIL
HIERARCHICAL
RELATIONSHIP
BETWEEN
PHONOLOGICAL
UNITS.
 TONE-UNIT
PRE- TONIC
HEAD HEAD TAIL
SYLLABLE
 THE TONIC SYLLABLE
1. IT IS THE ONLY OBLIGATORY COMPONENT OF THE TONE-UNIT.
2. IT CARRIES ONE OF THE FIVE TONES THAT EXIST IN ENGLISH
3. IT HAS THE HIGHEST DEGREE OF PROMINENCE IN THE TONE UNIT,
WHICH IS CALLED THE “TONIC STRESS”
 THE HEAD
1. IT IS ALL THAT PART OF A TONE-UNIT THAT GOES FROM THE FIRST
STRESSED SYLLABLE UP TO (BUT NOT INCLUDING) THE TONIC SYLLABLE.
2. THE STRESSED SYLLABLES IN IT ARE MARKED WITH A HIGH
APOSTROPHE BEFORE THEM.
3. IF THERE IS NO STRESSED SYLLABLE BEFORE THE TONIC SYLLABLE, THERE
IS NO HEAD (THEREFORE, IT IS NOT AN OBLIGATORY COMPONENT OF
THE TONE-UNIT)
4. IT CAN HAVE MORE THAN ONE STRESSED SYLLABLE IN IT.
 THE PRE-HEAD
1. IT IS FORMED BY THE UNSTRESSED SYLLABLE OR
SYLLABLES BEFORE THE HEAD
2. IF THERE ARE NO UNSTRESSED SYLLABLES BEFORE THE HEAD,
THERE IS NO PRE-HEAD (IT IS NOT AN OBLIGATORY COMPONENT
OF THE TONE-UNIT)
3. IT CAN EXIST EVEN THOUGH A HEAD IS NOT PRESENT.
 THE TAIL
1. IT IS MADE UP OF THE SYLLABLES THAT FOLLOW THE TONIC SYLLABLE.
2. IT CAN HAVE ONE OR MORE SYLLABLES, WHICH CAN BE STRESSED OR
UNSTRESSED.
3. THE TONIC SYLLABLE CAN BE THE LAST COMPONENT OF THE TONE-UNIT
(SO THE TAIL IS NOT AN OBLIGATORY COMPONENT OF THE TONE-UNIT)}
4. IF THERE IS A STRESSED SYLLABLE IN IT, IT IS MARKED WITH A HIGH DOT
BEFORE IT.
 PITCH POSSIBILITIES IN THE
SIMPLE TONE-UNIT

Some important statements

1. The simple tone-unit has only one tonic-syllable

2. Tone is carried by the tonic syllable (pitch movement starts in it)
3. Intonation is carried by the tone-unit
THE TONE WHEN THERE IS NO TAIL
If the tonic syllable is the final syllable of a tone-unit that has
more than one syllable, the tone will not sound much different
from that of a corresponding one -syllable tone unit.

,front = It is nearer to the ,front

Tonic syllable’s tone Tonic syllable’s tone

in a one-syllabled in a multi-syllabled
tone-unit tone-unit.
 THE TONE WHEN THERE IS A TAIL
Pitch movement is not completed in the tonic syllable, and:
1. When the tail follows a tonic-syllable that has a rising tone, the following
syllable (or syllables) of the tail will continue to move GRADUALLY upwards
from the pitch of the tonic syllable.
2. When the tail follows a tonic-syllable that has a falling tone, the following
syllable (or syllables) of the tail will continue to move GRADUALLY down from
the pitch of the tonic syllable
In both cases, once the speakser’s normal pitch is reached, the tone continues at the highest or lowest speaker’s normal pitch
ACTIVITY
PRE-HEAD HEAD TONIC SYLLABLE TAIL

● GO FOR IT ● LOOK AT IT
● JOHN WAS AFRAID OF THE DARK ● WHAT DID YOU SAY
● I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO CATCH THAT ● ON THE LEFT
TRAIN ● JIM CALLED TO GIVE ME THOSE
● BUT IT FOR HER
● TALK TO ME
● MIND THE STEP
● GIVE ME THOSE
● MARY AND JOHN SAID YES
● IN AN HOUR
 PRE-HEAD HEAD TONIC SYLLABLE TAIL
ACTIVITY GO FOR IT

JOHN WAS AFRAID OF THE DARK

I´VE ALWAYS WANTED TO CATCH THAT TRAIN

BUY IT FOR HER

TALK TO ME

MIND THE STEP

GIVE ME THOSE

MARY AND JOHN SAID YES

IN AN HOUR

LOOK AT IT

WHAT DID YOU SAY

ON THE LEFT

JIM CALLED TO GIVE ME THOSE