Perhaps you have heard people say that intonation is the melody or the music of spoken American English. That’s because English speakers use different types of intonation or pitch patterns in phrases and sentences.
These intonation patterns are extremely important because they convey meaning. If you are not aware of how Americans use these pitch or intonation patterns you could risk confusing or offending your listeners.
Here are some examples of how American listeners interpret pitch patterns:
- If your pitch is very high it indicates that you are surprised.
- If your pitch is very low it could indicate that you feel angry.
- If your pitch is too neutral it may indicate that you are uninterested in the conversation.
Using the correct intonation is vital if you want to perfect your English communication skills. Please click here to read my article about intonation in American English.
Tags: american english intonation, american pronunciation, Intonation Patterns, learn american english pronunciation, online accent reduction
