Intonation Components in short English Statements

In this study we attempt to identify the basic components of statement intonation as related t o focus, accent and lexical stress in General American English. Instead of viewing f 0 contours as direct acoustic correlates of intonation components, we regard them as the outcome of implementing different functional components of intonation under various articulatory constraints. Eight American English speakers were recorded while reading aloud short declarative sentences with or without narrow focus at different locations. Results of analyses suggest that f 0 contours in short declarative sentences in English are determined by three separate specifications: local pitch target, articulatory effort, and pitch range. Every syllable seems to be associated with a pitch target which determines the ideal local pitch contour. Non-focused, non-final accents seem to carry a static [high], and word-final accent under focus and sentence-final accent seem to carry a dynamic [fall]. Unaccented syllables, whether or not lexically stressed, probably carry a static [mid] rather than being completely targetless. Articulatory effort determines how forcefully a local target is implemented. The pitch targets of accented syllables seem to be implemented with strong efforts, those of unaccented syllables with weak efforts, while lexically unstressed syllables with even weaker efforts. Pitch range determines the height and span of f 0 at which local pitch targets are implemented. Focus appears to operate by expanding the pitch range of the on-focus stressed syllables, suppressing the pitch range of all post-focus syllables, and leaving the pitch range of pre-focus words intact. To account for the present data as well as other recent findings, a new model of intonation is considered.