Intonation and Tones

Pitch level and range

Pitch level (mid, high, low) and range (normal, wide, narrow) are important characteristics of intonation and tones. The voice does not jump up and down while pronouncing sentences, and the voice does not rise high or fall low without reason.

Each tone has its own pitch levels on which it begins and ends. Each tone has its own range, that is, the span (pitch span, pitch interval) between the beginning of a tone and its end.

Very high or very low pitch levels together with the ranges that are much wider or much narrower than normal indicate the presence of some strong (positive or negative) emotions. (For example, very high pitch usually indicates nervousness and excitedness.)

It is important to stress that very high or very low pitch level and widened or narrowed range do not specify what kind of strong emotion is expressed. It all depends on the situation, on the context, and on some other factors, such as the choice of words, tone and loudness of your voice, tempo of speech, expression on your face, etc.

Language learners rarely need to express strong feelings in their speech (and should avoid expressing them, if possible). But it is necessary to understand various emotions in the speech of other people.

Note: Differences in pitch level

The interval between the highest-pitch syllable and the lowest-pitch syllable of a sentence (i.e., the range) is wider in British English than in American English. For example, sentences pronounced with normal unemphatic American English intonation are usually pronounced in the middle part (on mid pitch level) of the normal speaking range; the falling tone at the end of the sentence goes down from mid to low, and the rising tone goes up from mid to high.

Women generally use higher pitch levels and change pitch more often than men.

Higher pitch level and change of pitch are frequent in Russian speech, and if you speak English with Russian intonation, your emotions and even the meaning of your utterance may be misunderstood.