Culture · 6 pages · 12 min
Why English uses stress where other languages use tone
English tells words apart by which syllable is strong, not by a pitch shape on each one.
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From the opening
English uses stress where other languages use tone because the contrast stored on a word is which syllable is prominent, not a pitch shape that defines each syllable. Stressed syllables last longer, often sound louder, and keep a full vowel. The opening covers stress keeps one vowel full, record shifts from noun to verb, and phrase pitch is intonation.
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Inside
- Stress keeps one vowel full
- Record shifts from noun to verb
- Phrase pitch is intonation
- Pitch accent sits between the types
- Where the idea stops applying
- A distinction worth keeping
Sources
- Lexical stress and vowel reduction in English
- Lexical tone as a different kind of stored contrast