How Intonation Changes Meaning

Using the right intonation can actually change the meaning of your words. Think
of your voice as a musical instrument. As you speak, your voice gets louder and
softer, places emphasis on certain parts, and goes up and down the notes. The
notes of your voice are called its pitch, and the change in pitch is what we call
intonation.

For example, say this sentence out loud:

“How you doin’?”

This looks like a simple, very informal way to ask someone how they’re doing.
It’s not grammatically correct (it should say “How are you doing?”), but it’s easy
to understand.

When you said it out loud, you probably started on a low note and rose up to a
higher note on the “doin’.”

Now listen to Joey from the TV show “Friends”. He stresses the word “you”
instead, which gives the phrase a completely different meaning. His version of
this simple greeting is suggestive (hinting at something sexual) and a bit
flirtatious (he’s flirting). (Of course, his facial expression doesn’t help!).

And it doesn’t stop there! Something as simple as the word “really” can have
many different meanings depending on your pitch. A rising pitch shows surprise,
a falling pitch shows disbelief. Not changing your pitch at all can
sound sarcastic (when you say one thing but mean the opposite).
So imagine that your friend just told you he won the lottery. How you say the
word “really” will influence how he thinks you feel about this (and might
influence whether he shares his prize money!).

It can also explain why sometimes people don’t seem to understand you even
when you use the right words and grammar.

Learning intonation is a crucial part of becoming an advanced English learner.

The Main English Intonation Patterns

There are two main American English intonation patterns:

 Falling: This is when your voice lowers its pitch at the end of the
sentence, and it’s the most common pattern in American English. Use
this for most regular statements and questions that are not yes or no
questions. 

 Rising: This is when your voice raises its pitch at the end of the
sentence. Use this when you’re asking a yes or no question or to show
disbelief or anger. 

This is a simplified explanation, and there are a number of other different ways
you can change your pitch to change your meaning. But if you can learn these
two main patterns well, the rest will follow! You’ll find out more about them in a
bit, but first it’s important to learn how to study intonation.

Tips on Practicing English Intonation

To improve your intonation, you will first need to become aware of it. So before
you do anything, record yourself speaking English. Choose a paragraph that has
different kinds of sentences, like the first few sentences in a book you’re
reading.

Now that you have a recording of yourself speaking, you can listen to it and hear
what needs work. Does your voice sound flat? Does it rise and fall in a way that
sounds natural? Do you “sound” like a native speaker?

Here are a few tips that will help you get the right sound in your English speech:

 Shadow read with a video. Shadow reading is when you read along

with a video or audio clip. Find a video with subtitles on YouTube or
choose any of the videos that plays interactive subtitles.

 Mark up your text. Make markings on the text that show where your
pitch should rise and fall. You can draw arrows above the words or use
lines—whatever works for you.

 Exaggerate. Practice your intonation by exaggerating it, which means

making it much bigger than it should be. For example, when your pitch
is supposed to go up, go really high! You won’t speak like this in a
conversation, but it’s a good way to become more aware of intonation
when you speak.

 Use a pitch detector. A pitch detector like the one on Online Mic
Test is usually used for tuning musical instruments. However, since
your voice is an instrument, this is a good chance to see your voice’s
ups and downs (and maybe check how in-tune your singing is).

 Try different intonations. Choose one sentence and say it in many

different ways. Raise and lower your pitch, put stresses on different
 words, and just play around with it. Try recording yourself and then
listen to how you sound. What makes you sound angry? Surprised? You
can learn a lot from just trying different things.

Using these tips should make you more aware of how you’re speaking. But when
do you use which type of intonation? We’re glad you asked!

7 Cases Where Intonation Matters in English

Remember that there are other ways to use your voice and pitch to change the
meaning of your words. For example, the rhythm and speed of your
voice, or where you place the stress in the sentence can also change the
meaning. The situations below should give you a good place to start, but always
be listening for other ways you can improve the way you speak English!

1. Asking questions

For yes or no questions, use a rising intonation at the end of the sentence.

“Are you going to school tomorrow?”

For most other types of questions, use a falling intonation at the end of the
sentence.

“Why are you going to school tomorrow? It’s Saturday!”

Hear it:  When the speaker asks “Can I get a tour?” his intonation rises since it’s
a yes or no question.
2. Making statements

Most regular statements (those which just state facts or information; not

statements which clarify or emphasize anything) use a falling intonation at the
end of the sentence.

“I’ve been playing the violin for seven years.”

3. Listing things

Items on a list use a rising intonation until the final item, which uses a falling
intonation.

“I love chocolate, strawberry and pistachio ice cream.”

4. Expressing feelings

High-energy emotions like happiness, excitement, fright and annoyance usually

use a rising intonation. The example below, for example, can be joy,
excitement or annoyance depending on the situation.

“I can’t  believe  he gave you a ride home!”

Boredom, sarcasm and disinterest often use a falling intonation. For example,
the sentence below would sound very sarcastic if you said it in a low pitch. With
the sarcastic tone, it would mean that the speaker actually isn’t excited at all.

“I am so excited for you.”

5. Stressing the importance of something

Use rising intonation on specific words in a sentence to emphasize their

importance. The first example below emphasizes the “red” and implies
(suggests) there were choices in color. The second emphasizes the “scarf” and
implies there were choices in items.

“I hope you got the  red  scarf.”

“I hope you got the red  scarf.”

6. Contrasting between things

Use a rising intonation and place a stress on the two things you want to

contrast.

“I thought he liked  dogs  but he actually likes  cats.”

You can also use this intonation to point out things that seem one way, but are
another way.

“You should exercise every day, but I know you don’t have the time.”

7. Using tag questions

Use rising intonation on questions at the end of a sentence which require the

clarification or opinion of your speaking partner. These are called tag
questions.

“It’s a beautiful day,  isn’t it?” 

Remember, intonation can turn a happy comment into a sarcastic one, or turn a
statement into a question. Pay attention to the way you speak and you’ll be
understood a lot better!