Intonation: what your voice says
Rising and falling voices, lists, and question tags.
12 minutes · A free lesson from Accent and connected speech
- Falling at the end: statements, and questions with what, where, when. Where did you park? ↘
- Rising: yes/no questions and surprise. Are you coming? ↗
- Lists: rising on each item, falling on the last. Tea ↗, coffee ↗, or juice ↘?
- Question tags: falling to check (You're coming, aren't you? ↘), rising to really ask (↗).
Lesson quiz
Check what you have learned. Choose an answer to see whether it is right, and why.
Quick check: What does your voice do at the end of “Where did you park?”
- It rises
- It falls
- It stays flat
Show the answer
B: It falls — Questions with what, where and when fall. Yes/no questions rise.
Quick check: How do you say a list such as “Tea, coffee, or juice?”
- Falling on every item
- Flat all the way through
- Rising on each item, falling on the last
Show the answer
C: Rising on each item, falling on the last — The fall tells the listener the list has ended.
Quick check: You say “You're coming, aren't you?” with a falling tag. What are you doing?
- Checking something you expect is true
- Asking a real question
- Giving an order
Show the answer
A: Checking something you expect is true — A rising tag really asks.
Quick check: How can a flat voice sound in English?
- Bored or unfriendly
- Very polite
- Excited
Show the answer
A: Bored or unfriendly — A little more rise and fall makes you sound warmer.
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