Which term describes the use of pitch in speech to convey differences in meaning?

Which term describes the use of pitch in speech to convey differences in meaning?

• A. Intonation
• B. Stress
• C. Prosody
• D. Rhythm

Answer: (A)

Intonation is the use of pitch movement across a phrase or sentence to signal differences in meaning or sentence type. For example, rising pitch at the end of a yes-no question signals that you’re asking something, while falling pitch typically marks a statement as complete. This focus on pitch to alter meaning distinguishes intonation from other vocal features: stress emphasizes particular syllables to show emphasis or contrast, and rhythm deals with the timing pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. Prosody is the broader term that includes all these aspects. So, when describing how pitch changes convey different meanings in speech, intonation is the best fit.