How to improve your intonation

Intonation describes how the voice rises and falls in speech. A falling pitch is associated with certainty, and a rising pitch with uncertainty. The improper use of intonation can be very misleading. For this reason, it is perhaps better to speak in a monotone manner than to use intonation incorrectly. However, it is preferable to master intonation and use it as a tool to better express oneself in English.

Most of the time, you need to remember to start high and end low for declarative sentences. The emphasis (or stress) is normally placed on the first syllable of the last word.

“John didn’t tell her the password”

The same word or phrase can take on completely different meanings depending on which syllable is stressed. Take the phrase “John didn’t tell her the password” could imply several different things depending on the intonation.

“John didn’t tell her the password” - someone else told her the password.
“John didn’t tell her the password” - John told someone else the password.

“John didn’t tell her the password” - John told her something else, not the password.

Even with just a single-word statement, different meanings can be implied. If the word 'okay' is said with a rising pitch, it is likely to be heard as a question or as someone asking for confirmation. If the same word is said with a falling pitch, it is more likely to be heard as confirmation or a discourse marker.

In interrogative sentences, we generally start low and end high; however, the ‘peak’ of the sentence can also fall on the word with the most relevance. Take the following sentences.

“What was the address?”
“What was the address of that building?”

The stress stays with the word address in the second sentence, even though it is not the last word because it is more relevant to what the speaker wants to find out.

Some questions may give you a choice between two options, in which case the stress is placed on both options more or less equally, but the first option is said with a rising intonation and the second is said with a lower intonation.

“Was it number 13 or 31?” 

Although correcting intonation is relatively straight forward and does not require a long period of time, it does require concerted focus. Record yourself speaking, listen to it and make the necessary corrections. This might be tedious, but it is one of the fastest and most effective ways to correct your intonation. Mirror the pace at which natives speak as well. This will allow you to be better understood and should also contribute to mimicking their intonation too. 

The teachers Speakeasy can cover this topic with you more extensively than the tips in this article. Our teachers have real world experience of working in the business world, from the financial sector to NGOs. As long as you have a Skype account and internet access, you can attend classes and study in an environment most convenient for you.

Visit our website for more information on our one-to-one courses. Visit our successful video tutorial course on Udemy to practice your intonation and listen to native speakers, as well as for advice on speaking business English.