𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻?
Intonation is the variation in pitch when you speak.
Using the right intonation helps you convey:
– Meaning
You will use different intonation when you’re making a statement or asking a question.
– Intention
To ensure your message is clearly understood, your intonation must match your intention.
– Emotion
When someone asks how you’re feeling, the intonation you use when responding with “ça va” will reflect your emotional state.
🎵 Intonation is to speech what melody is to music.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵?
Pitch has nothing to do with your elevator 😉!
Pitch is the height of a sound (“the note”) when speaking or singing.
In French, it is called hauteur de voix in speech or hauteur de note in music.
Spoken English and French have different pitch ranges.
English typically has a wider pitch range, with more noticeable rises and falls, which contribute to its dynamic and rhythmic sound.
In contrast, French tends to have a narrower pitch range, with smoother, more even intonation patterns.
French has approximately 4 different pitches.
🎵 In music, pitch corresponds to the note you sing or the note played on an instrument.
When you speak, it’s okay to be slightly off-pitch… but not when you sing! 😵
Note: In French, a person who sings off-pitch or out of tune is described as someone who chante faux.
𝗦𝗼, 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗿, 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁?
Not exactly. This would be accentuation or word stressing.
When we stress (or accentuate) a word or syllable, we pronounce it louder, not necessarily higher.
English pronunciation alternates stressed and unstressed syllables.
In French, it’s different: our “stressed” syllables are actually slightly longer, not louder.
This is why the French language is called a “time-based language”, while English is a “stress-based language”.
🎵 On a music score, the stress or accentuation would be conveyed through symbols like forte (𝙛) or fortissimo (𝙛𝙛𝙛𝙛).
What is rising or falling intonation?
Take the word Bonjour.
If you say it with rising intonation, the second syllable will be at a higher pitch than the first—not necessarily louder!
Examples with the word « Bonjour ! »
- Surprised (Surpris): 1st syllable on a LOW pitch, 2nd syllable HIGH
- Shy (Timide): 2 syllables on a LOW pitch
- Excited (Excité): 2 syllables on 2 HIGH pitches
🎵 In music, this is the interval between two notes, such as the middle C (C4 or “Do3”) and G5 (or “Sol 4”).
Intonation, accentuation, rhythm, pauses, and speed are all part of what is called prosody.
Prosody is essential in helping you communicate effectively beyond words and sounds.
For more tips on how to improve your intonation, check out my other article: 5 tips to improve your intonation.
You might also enjoy this other article (in French) with video and audio examples: Intonation, la p’tite note humaine.
