The head is defined as all that part of a tone-unit that begins with the stressed syllable of the first accented word (before the nucleus) and ends with the syllable immediately preceding the nucleus.
Heads can be: descending, ascending and level, the main criterion in each case being how the head begins from the point of view of pitch movement.
1. Descending Heads. In descending head the voice usually moves from a medium or high pitch level to the low one; the stressed syllables (usually with intervening unstressed ones) forming a descending sequence. The first stressed syllable of the head is the highest, the following stressed syllables carry the pitch lower.
According to the direction of pith movement within and between syllables, descending heads may be:
1.1. The Stepping Head;
1.2. The Falling Head;
1.3. The Scandent Head;
1.4. The Sliding Head.
1.1. The syllables can move down by steps. Then the head is called stepping. In the Stepping Head unstressed or partially stressed syllables are pronounced on the same level as the preceding step, e.g.:
I ˈdon’t ˈwant to ˈgo the cinema.
MEANING is used in descriptive prose and parts of conversations, sounds businesslike, matter-of-fact.
1.2. The head is called Falling when the stressed syllables also move down by steps but intervening unstressed syllables fall down, continuing the descending direction, e.g.:
I ˈdon’t ˈwant to ˈgo to the cinema.
MEANING
1.3. There are cases when unstressed or partially stressed syllables move up. They are pronounced higher than the stressed syllables. This type of descending head is called scandent, e.g.:
I ˈdon’t ˈwant to ˈgo to the cinema.
This head shows wide range of emotions: vivacity, impatience, interest, care, surprise, annoyance. Questions show disbelief; commands – encourage, when the speaker wants to comfort the listener; thus it’s often used while talking to children, e.g.: You mustn’t be upset about that. Don’t forget your hat.
In conversation between adults this head creates the atmosphere of care, so it’s frequently used between members of the family. Also, when a speaker uses this type of head he wants to show that his/her story to be continued, e.g.: I told her I was going to Germany. (So she said….).
1.4. If the voice moves down by slides within stressed syllables the head is called sliding. Each stressed syllable is pronounced higher than the preceding unstressed ones, but not higher that the preceding stressed syllable. Thus, all stressed syllables give the falling contour. All medium stressed syllables are shown with. Unstressed or partially stressed syllables between the slides usually continue the fall, e.g.:
I ˈdon’t want to go to the cinema.
Such pitch movement in statements shows great interest, humor, vivacity. In imperative sentences it may express encouragement, approval; in questions – doubt, disbelief, e.g.: Have you really told me the truth?
Within long intonation-groups gradually descending heads (usually stepping of falling) may be broken by the so-called “accidental rise”. This happens when one of the syllables is pronounced on a higher pitch level than the preceding one. The broken descending head is very common when one particular word in a phrase should be singled out, e.g.:
You’d ˈget to ˈknow ˈquite a lot of ˈinteresting people there.
2. Ascending Heads. Ascending heads are opposite of descending ones: their first syllable is low in the pitch, each following stressed syllable being higher that the preceding one; thus the stressed syllables form an ascending sequence.
According to the direction of pith movement within and between syllables, ascending heads are:
2.1. The Stepping / Rising Head;
2.2. The Sliding / Climbing Head.
2.1. If the voice moves up by steps and the intervening unstressed or partially stressed syllables continue the rise the head is called stepping or rising, e.g.:
I ˈdon’t ˈwant to ˈgo to the cinema.
This head often shows surprise, interest, concern or protest, e.g.: I could hardly believe my eyes! Statements pronounced with such intonation give impression of clearness, fellowship, participation in the situation. WH-questions also show surprise, e.g .: I know I bought a knife. But where in the world have you put it?
Yes-or-No questions pronounced with the Ascending Stepping Head are subject for discussion rather than immediate answer. Besides, the speaker shows that the question is very important, e.g .: I can’t think who to turn to. – Would it be any good trying John? I doubt whether David will help. – Is it fair to expect him to? Commands with the Ascending Stepping Head give impression of suggestion of the future actions, e.g.: I wish Ann didn’t dislike me so. – Well, don’t be so rude to her in future.
2.2. If the voice moves up by slides the head is called sliding or climbing; unstressed or partially stressed syllables glide up too, e.g.:
I ˈdon’t ˈwant to ˈgo to the cinema
MEANING
3. Level Heads. In level heads all syllables are pronounced on more or less the same note of a pitch level.
According to the direction of pith movement within and between syllables level heads are:
3.1. The High Level Head;
3.2. The Medium Level Head;
3.3. The Low Level Head.
3.1. If the syllables happen to be on the same high level the head is call the High Level Head. This head usually occurs before the high-falling, high-rising and rising-falling nuclear tones, e.g.:
I ˈdon’t ˈwant to ˈgo to the cinema.
The High Level Head is most frequently used in emphatic speech. Statements with such intonation sound final, clear, giving the impression of co-operation, involvement, mindlessness, softness. It also helps to avoid insistence in Wh-Questions, thus they sound amiable, friendly, tactful.
The most frequently used type of the High Level Head is the head with one strongly stressed syllable and unstressed or partially stressed syllables pronounced on the same high level. It is usually called High Head, e.g.:
I ˈdidn’t know it.
3.2. If the pre-nuclear stressed or partially stressed syllables are pronounced on the medium pitch level the head is called Medium Level. This head can occur before any nuclear tone, but it is very common before the Mid-Level nucleus, e.g.:
I ˈdon’t ˈwant to ˈgo to the cinema.
MEANING
3.3. Pre-nuclear stressed syllables pronounced on the low pitch level constitute the Low Level Head. The Low Level Head generally occurs before the Low Rise and the Low Fall. e.g.:
I ˈdon’t ˈwant to ˈgo to the cinema
The Low Level Head expresses indifference, hostility and other negative emotions. This head is often used when the speaker doesn’t give weight to his/her words. Together with the Low Rise this head is used to persuade the listener to change his/her attitude to the situation, e.g.: What a terrible play! – It wasn’t as bad as all that. Yes-or-No questions with this type of head always show disapproval, skepticism; thus it should be used only in corresponding situations.
P.Roach
Task: The following tone-units will be repeated with high and low heads. Transcribe the sentences. Decide which one is pronounced with the Low Head or High Head. Make accentual-tonetic analysis of these sentences. Listen and repeat:
1. Taxes have risen by five per cent.
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Taxes have risen by five per cent.
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2. Haven’t you asked the boss for more?
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Haven’t you asked the boss for more?
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3. We don’t have time to read the paper.
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We don’t have time to read the paper.
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4. Wouldn’t you like to read it on the train?
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Wouldn’t you like to read it on the train?
Task: Each item will be pronounced as one tone-unit, and will be heard three times. Decide whether these sentences are pronounced with the Low Head or High Head. Transcribe the sentences. Make accentual-tonetic analysis of the sentences. Practice the pronunciation:
1. Now here’s the weather forecast.
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2. You didn’t say anything about rates.
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3. A few years ago they were top.
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4. No-one could say the cinema was dead.
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5. Is there anything you would eat?
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6. Have you ever considered writing?
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7. That was what he claimed to be.
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8. We try to do our shopping in the market.
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9. But I never go there now.
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10. It wouldn’t be difficult to find out.
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Silke-Katrin Kunze A Survey of the Pronunciation of Australian English
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