TONES,

TONIC SYLLABLES
TONES UNITS
MRS. SANDRA MOLINA C.
UBB CHILLAN

What is the tonic syllable?

Tonic syllable is the last prominent syllable in the tone
unit
where
the
tone
change
begin.
Tone unit is a sequence of accented syllables, one or
more
of
which
are
prominent.
Facts on Tone unit & Tonic Syllable:
1.Each tone unit contains only one tonic syllable.
2.Each tone unit carries one change of tone.
3.We mark Tone unit boundaries by placing a "
rectangle " at the beginning of the Tone unit.
4.Tonic syllables must have a high degree of
prominence.
5.Tonic syllables are syllables which carry a tone and
also a type of stress.
6.Tonic syllables are also known as nucleus.

Examples:
Is it you:
Three-syllable utterance consisting of
one tone-unit;
The only syllable that carries a tone (i.e.
the tonic syllable or nucleus) is the third
one.
John is it you :
Four-syllable utterance consisting of
two tone-units;

Simple tone-unit:
Head: the part of a tone-unit that extends from
the first stressed syllable (the onset of the head)
up
to the tonic syllable.
Remember that stressed words are (usually)
content words (nouns, adjectives, verbs,
adverbs).
Bill called to give me these.

Pre-head:
All the unstressed syllables preceding the first
stressed syllable. In a little less than an hour.

Tail:
All the syllables following the tonic syllable up
to the end of the tone-unit look at it both of
them were here.

Onset on a function word

In the following examples the head is in
blue and tonic syllable in red
Interrogative wh-words are stressed:
Who wrote the report?
How do you feel?
This is the officer who wrote the report.

What happens to nucleus placement when a

(direct or indirect) question has the pattern whword + be + pronoun (i.e. it contains only
function words)?
The nucleus goes on the verb be.
How are you?
Tell me how you are.
What is it?
Tell me what it is.
Welcome back! Hows it been?
Tell me how its been.

Whos she? (pointing at somebody)

Whos that? (hearing somebody at the
door)
Who is that? (knocking at the door
continues)
How old are you?
Whats it for?
Whats this button for?

In yes-no questions, an initial auxiliary or

modal is optionally stressed:
Did you remember?
Can you swim?
An initial contracted negative verb is almost
always accented, so too is the word not.
Havent we been here before?
Im not really sure.

The modals ought, used, need, dare are usually

stressed even in statements. The other auxiliaries
and modals are also often stressed in statements
if by doing so we avoid an awkwardly long
prehead. May, might, and should are usually
stressed.
I used to live in San Diego.
Im going to be late for work. Or Im going to be
late for work.

Pronouns are stressed not only when

contrastive, but also when coordinated or to
signal a change
of grammatical subject or object.
You do the ironing
(contrast)
You and I
(coordination)
Bill told Mary
(object subject)

could

and Ill wash the floor.

sort

it

out

quickly.

and then she told Jennifer.

Locate the nucleus:

Switch over to the BBC.
I need some new running shoes.
Ive lost my credit card.
Ill tell them.
Have you forgotten me?
What are you looking at?
Where does she come from?
Whos she with?

Solutions:
Switch over to the BBC.
I need some new running shoes.
Ive lost my credit card.
Ill tell them.
Have you forgotten me?
What are you looking at?
Where does she come from?
Whos she with?

Whats it about?
Take your umbrella with you.
His ties got a stain on it.
When is it?
See who it is.
You mustnt annoy people.
Ive got something to say to you guys.
(Why are you looking so worried?) Ive got
an exam this afternoon.
(Everything OK?) Its a bit hot in here.

Whats it about?
Take your umbrella with you.
His ties got a stain on it.
When is it?
See who it is.
You mustnt annoy people.
Ive got something to say to you guys.
(Why are you looking so worried?) Ive got an
exam this afternoon.
(Everything OK?) Its a bit hot in here.