Speaking: Pronunciation A1 - Lesson 3: Simple Intonation

Speaking: Pronunciation A1

Simple Intonation

Listen to the examples here.

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

What is Intonation? 🎵

Intonation is the music of your voice. It’s how your voice goes up ↗ and down ↘ when you speak. The right music helps people understand your meaning and feelings.

Falling Intonation ↘ (Statements)

Your voice goes DOWN at the end. Use this when you tell someone something.

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

Rising Intonation ↗ (Yes/No Questions)

Your voice goes UP at the end. Use this when you ask a question that can be answered with "yes" or "no".

• Is your name Vichea?↗
• Are you from Cambodia?↗
• Are you hungry?↗

Key Concepts

💡 Why Intonation is Important

Intonation can change the meaning, even if the words are the same! Listen to this example:

1. Statement: "You are a student.↘"
This is a fact. I am telling you something I know.

2. Question: "You are a student?↗"
This is a question. I am surprised, or I am checking if I am correct. This is very common in spoken English.

Practice Your Intonation 🎯

Activity 1: Choose the Intonation

Read the sentences. Click 🔊 to hear it. Is the intonation Falling (↘) or Rising (↗)? Click "Show Answer" to check.

1. I like fried rice.
   Show Answer

   Falling ↘

2. Do you like fried rice?
   Show Answer

   Rising ↗

3. The Angkor Wat temple is very old.
   Show Answer

   Falling ↘

4. Is it very old?
   Show Answer

   Rising ↗

Activity 2: Make it a Question

Listen to the statement ↘. Then, say the Yes/No question ↗. Click 🔊 to check your question's intonation.

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

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

Vocabulary

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

Your Mission ⭐

This week, try to use your new intonation skills around town.

1. Make one statement to a friend 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!