Speaking: Pronunciation A1 - Lesson 3: Simple Intonation

Speaking: Pronunciation A1 - Lesson 3

Simple Intonation

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to use falling intonation for statements and rising intonation for Yes/No questions.

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What is Intonation?

Intonation¹ is the music of your voice. It’s how your voice goes up and down when you speak. It helps people understand your meaning and feelings.

For A1 learners, we will learn the two most important patterns:

• Falling Intonation² (↘): Your voice goes DOWN. We use this for a statement³ (when you are telling someone something).
• Rising Intonation⁴ (↗): Your voice goes UP. We use this for a Yes/No question⁵ (when you are asking something).

Listen to the difference:

You live⁶ in Siem Reap. ↘ (This is a statement. I am telling you.)

Do you live in Siem Reap? ↗ (This is a question. I am asking you.)

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Vocabulary Glossary

1. Intonation (Noun) | ភាសាខ្មែរ: សំនៀង | The 'music' of your voice when you speak; how it goes up and down. ↩
2. Falling (Adjective) | ភាសាខ្មែរ: ការធ្លាក់ចុះ | Going down. ↩
3. Statement (Noun) | ភាសាខ្មែរ: ប្រយោគបញ្ជាក់ | A sentence that tells information. It is not a question. ↩
4. Rising (Adjective) | ភាសាខ្មែរ: ការឡើងលើ | Going up. ↩
5. Question (Noun) | ភាសាខ្មែរ: សំណួរ | A sentence that asks for information. ↩
6. Live (Verb) | ភាសាខ្មែរ: រស់នៅ | To have your home in a place. ↩
7. Hungry (Adjective) | ភាសាខ្មែរ: ឃ្លាន | Wanting to eat food. ↩

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record_voice_over Pronunciation Focus: Statements vs. Yes/No Questions

Statements: Voice goes DOWN ↘

Listen to these statements. The voice falls at the end.

• My name is Vichea. ↘
• I am from Cambodia. ↘
• It is sunny today. ↘
• This is my book. ↘

Yes/No Questions: Voice goes UP ↗

Listen to these questions. The voice rises at the end.

• Is your name Vichea? ↗
• Are you from Cambodia? ↗
• Are you hungry⁷? ↗
• Is this your book? ↗

lightbulb Why is Intonation Important?

Intonation can change the meaning of a sentence, even if the words are the same!

Look at this sentence:

You are a student. ↘

With falling intonation, this is a simple statement. I am telling you something I know.

Now look at the same words with rising intonation:

You are a student? ↗

With rising intonation, this becomes a question. I am surprised, or I am checking if my information is correct. This is very common in friendly, spoken English.

sports_esports Practice Your Intonation

Activity 1: Listen and Choose

Read the sentences below. Is the intonation Falling (↘) or Rising (↗)?

1. I like fried rice. (Answer: Falling ↘)
2. Do you like fried rice? (Answer: Rising ↗)
3. The Angkor Wat temple is very old. (Answer: Falling ↘)
4. Is it very old? (Answer: Rising ↗)

Activity 2: Make it a Question

Change these statements into Yes/No questions. Remember to make your voice go UP at the end!

• Statement: He is a tuk-tuk driver. ↘
• Question: Is he a tuk-tuk driver? ↗

• Statement: The coffee is sweet. ↘
• Question: Is the coffee sweet? ↗

task Your Intonation Mission

This week in Siem Reap, try to use your new intonation skills.

1. Make one statement to a friend or tourist with falling intonation. Example: "Today is very hot. ↘"
2. Ask one Yes/No question with rising intonation. Example: "Is this the way to Pub Street? ↗"

Pay attention to the "music" of your voice. Good luck!