6.

Rhythm and sentence stress:

6.1. Rhythm

.
 Rhythm
• So far we’ve looked at stress as a property of
words. lexical stress.
• But, when words are strung together in
sentences some of the stressed syllables remain
stressed and others may lose their stress. Take
the word “over” as an example: it is
transcribed /
• But, if we put this into a sentence like The dóg
júmped over the fénce, the word “over” is not
stressed any more.
• So, lexical stress and sentence stress are not
exactly the same thing.
 Rhythm
• RHYTHM: Definition

• The perceived regularity of prominent units in

speech (Crystal, 1980)
• The pattern of occurrence in time of relatively
“strong” and “weak” events (Ashby &
Maidment, 2005)
 Rhythm
• RHYTHM: Two types

1. Syllable-timed rhythm: Romance languages.

2. Stress-timed rhythm: Germanic languages, Arabic,

Russian.

• Both kinds of rhythm are characterised by the recurrence

of a given element at regular intervals ISOCHRONY
 Rhythm
• In syllable-timed rhythm:
• Each syllable has the same duration, whether it is
stressed or not. They are isochronous.
• The time between stresses is not isochronous. It
depends on the number of syllables.
• Si nó viénes a vérme, nó te háblo más.

• In stress-timed rhythm:
• The time taken from one strong stress to the next is
about the same.
• Therefore some syllables will be much shorter than
others.
• So bóth of them léft on the síx o´clock tráin
 Rhythm
• If we take the English sentence again, we can divide it into
RHYTHM UNITS or FEET. units consisting of one strongly
stressed syllable and the unstressed syllables that attach
themselves to it.

 So bóth of them  léft on the  síx o´clock  tráin 

Sénd them awáy at ónce:  Sénd them a wáy at  ónce

• Some comments:
• Isochrony is subjective, based on the perception of the
listener. The intervals are not measurably identical.
• This dichotomy has proved to be an oversimplification it is
more accurate to say that some language make greater use of
one type of rhythm.
• Accents of the same language may have different rhythms.
 Rhythm
• But, rhythm also depends on the speed: when we speak more
quickly, we tend to delete more of the strong stresses:
• VERY FAST SPEECH
  That cóacharrived  láte 
• FAST SPEECH
 that cóacha- rríved  láte
• SLOW, CAREFUL SPEECH
Thát  cóacharríved láte 

• Note that the English foot is basically trochaic a stressed

followed by an unstressed syllable:
• Óne two thrée four fíve six

• Thus, if there is more than one unstressed syllable, reduction

may take place→óp(e)ra, cám(e)ra, bátt(e)ry
• Also elision of pre-tonic syllables→ p(o) líce, p(a)ráde,
t(e)rrífic