English Intonation Rules

Learn the rules of English intonation and common mistakes to avoid.

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[alexanderlyon]

Thank you, Lisa, for including me in another video. It's always my pleasure to work with you and speak to your subscribers!

[FayziyevFirdavs]

Rising intonation is for making questions and falling intonation is for making affirmative and imperative sentences. Proprer intonation is crucial.

[Ankitasharma]

Interesting video 😀 most ppl are heavily influenced by celebs who are often not too educated. They copy their dressing, manners and speaking style without second thoughts. This way so many pple end up making major mistakes while speaking.

[fatiharouab]

Hi Liza

I caught myself talking like this in my tongue the Frensh.
I would not do that but I have been speaking like this as I have been through hardships lately and this can contribute highly to cheap away in someone's confidence.
My confidence has way been dwindelling

Your lesson is usefull.

Thanks a million and we really miss your precious lessons .

Thanks to you I am able to write, speak and read English.

It was a challenge for me.

[swhvrxb]

Professional speech should sound like a breath of the ocean. It's smooth and unbreakable

[homam.]

Thanks Lisa; again.
Since your previous excellent video a few years ago about the same subject, of which I referenced when participating in making a YouTube clip named “Right Intonation;Wrong Intonation” in my first language, this “uptalk” has disseminated like a virus.
Unfortunately it didn’t stay limited to doubtful personages, teen groups, political debates, celebrities, ESL speakers, but also more and more educated experts are talking that way.
Imagine listening to a scientific topic or a reportage on national radio, and the speaker is doing such. It’s not always easy to move away from the conversation.
Now in workplace meetings, when someone addresses me with that intonation, I have developed this behaviour to say: I’m not sure I’m following; was that a question or a statement?”
And guess what; the speaker has no idea what am I intending, and the discussion cracks because it looks like I don’t understand the “English words” other members are using!
I’ve done my share by explaining the example of “name the weekday” and then referring people to your first YouTube video about this when possible, but cannot do so in the middle of all scenarios I get to be present at.
Best Appreciation and Luck

[helenpansy]

Thank you, Lisa for your splendid lessons!

I enjoy eating raspberries, blackberries, sea buckthorn berries, plums and apples.

[ericvigen]

Thanks Lisa for your wonderful video. As ever, it was not just learning English language, but professional speaking skills as well. 👌 Please make a video about "connotation" too. Thank You! 🙏

[abadalrhmazkoo]

Thanks for this wonderful video. It is really useful! Teacher Lisa, your efforts are highly appreciated!

[israelrivero]

Lisa, you are definitely the best teacher on this platform. I appreciate all your teaching. God bless you!!

[claudiabettancourt]

It was a very useful class, thanks so much. I'm not a native english speaker, however, after watching your video I realized that I used to uptalk a lot and now I know it doesn't sound well and professional.

[gertrudisramirez]

This is a very very useful video. Thank you so much Lisa.

[wednesdaychild]

Good morning Liz, i watch your uploaded vdos, to each comment, i can only put a sign of a heart and thumbs up. Reason: i am neither a good talker nor writer.
Thanks to your great effort to teach us online.❤ God bless you.

[gabriellagirardi]

Intonation is very important. Thank you very much for this great lesson!

[kjiranuch]

Excellent and superp lesson about pronounciation.

[marilynH]

I am glad I came across this particular video!

[Momofprincesses]

Thank you Lisa! I have started watching all of your videos and also subscribed to professor Alexander Lyon. 👍

[psychoe.]

I study English Language and English Literature & Culture in Norway, and when our professor (Australian) talked about intonation, he said Norwegians have a very interesting intonation with a lot of uptalk which makes us mix it into our English accent. He also said we need to be careful with uptalk to people with an English mother-tongue because they might think we mock them or we just annoy them (and that we might get hit in the face lol). It really depends on the Norwegian dialects too because no one speaks exactly like the written languages here. With phonetics I've been focusing on the American accent, and I try my best to not sound like a Kardashian. If you talk to a foreigner who does a lot of uptalk, they might be Norwegian as I believe we struggle with it the most in the world

[flaviooliveira]

When I hear some speak with “uptalk” intonation especially at workplace environment, it sounds as if they were talking with no confidence, indisposed and arrogant at the same time, unprofessional and has no commitment and responsibility related to the job. Nobody likes an "uptalker", comparing the normal intonation and the uptalk. it made so clear how a natural speaker sounds and how a person speaking with a forced and wrong intonation can be unprepared and totally misunderstood. I also used to speak like this, but I also watched a previous video about it, here and I try to avoid it, it's a nuance, a simple mistake, but makes all the difference.

[Chiclassy]

hi ma'am. you're really help me to improve my public speaking also. thank you so much for uploaded this video❤