1

J. D. O’CONNOR AND G. F. ARNOLD’S SYSTEM

OF INTONATION PATTERNS:
THE TEN TONE GROUPS

1. WORD GROUPS. TUNES. TONE GROUPS

(O’Connor and Arnold, 1973: 2–12, 39–41)

In speech, utterances are divided into smaller units, for which O’Connor and
Arnold use a neutral term word groups. A word group is grammatically relevant – it
may be the subject and the predicate (The tall woman by his side│is Mrs. Smith║), a
clause (If he doesn’t submit the report,│he’ll be fired║), an opening phrase (In
short,│she was nominated for the award║), a parenthetical word or phrase (The
baguettes,│not the croissants,│were the best sellers of the day║). The single bar [│] is
used to separate word groups and clauses that have close grammatical connection. The
double bar [║] is used to mark the end of utterances. The single bar corresponds to a
short pause; the double bar, to a long one. Intonation helps to organize words into word
groups, and word groups into utterances. In speech, word groups are presented as
separate units. Such units are important for the meaning. Consider the following
examples:
My cousin, │who is staying with us,│is a playwright.║
(My cousin is currently staying with us; he is a playwright.)
My cousin who is staying with us,│is a playwright.║
(I have several cousins; the one who is currently staying with us is a playwright.)
We divide utterances into smaller units being guided by meaning. In any situation, ‘it is
meaning which is the really important factor’ (O’Connor and Arnold, 1973: 39).
In some cases, the speaker can choose whether to divide an utterance into word
groups or not; for example, the subject may or may not be separated from the predicate:
This dictionary│is very useful.║
This dictionary is very useful.║
 2

An inherent feature of each word group is its tune. O’Connor and Arnold define
tune as the complete pitch pattern of a word group. The shortest tunes are those of
single-syllable word groups; for example, Yes in answer to a question. This word,
strange as it may seem, is a complete word group: it is grammatically correct; it may
express various nuances of meaning and different attitudes – the speaker has just to
change the direction of pitch movement (to let the voice fall, rise, or to maintain a level
pitch between high and low) and to make the pitch range wider or narrower. For
example,
Will you come? – Yes.
When pronounced with a falling tone, Yes may sound cold, neutral, or excited and
happy depending on the pitch level and the pitch range the speaker chooses. Yes may be
pronounced with a rising tone; for example, in

So he called me and … – Yes …

a rising tone is used to show that a person wants their interlocutor to continue.
Another important factor in meaning is stress. In both cases, Yes is stressed. Thus
pitch movement and stress are the characteristic features of tone groups.
A word group may be longer than a one-syllable word; for example,
Marvelous!║
What for?║
As far as I know, │he hasn’t arrived yet.║
But each word group has its centre of importance. From a phonetic perspective, the
central element of a word group is not the whole word, but the stressed syllable of the
most important word marked by a change in pitch (fall, rise, or their combinations).
This syllable is called the nucleus of a tune. The nucleus may be preceded and/or
followed by stressed and unstressed elements. They form the pitch pattern of a tune.
Though the only obligatory element of the pattern is the nucleus. The other elements are
optional.
 3

According to O’Connor and Arnold, the Tone Group is a group of tunes that
 have one or more pitch features in common,
 convey the same attitude on the part of the speaker (1973: 39).

2. THE STRUCTURE OF THE TONE GROUP

(O’Connor and Arnold, 1973: 7–30, 36–41)

The central element of a tone group is the stressed syllable of the last accented word.
This syllable is called the nucleus. In the three examples below, the nuclear syllable is
underlined. The stressed and unstressed syllables following the nucleus are called the
tail. According to O’Connor and Arnold, the combination of the nucleus and the tail (or
just the nucleus if there are no other syllables after it) is the nuclear tone. In the
diagrams, large dots represent the stressed syllables; small dots, the unstressed ones.

Seven Types of the Nuclear Tone

Form Forty Formula

Low Fall

High Fall

Rise-Fall

Low Rise

High Rise
 4

Fall-Rise

Mid-Level

The Pre-Nuclear Pattern. The syllables before the nucleus form the pre-nuclear
part of a tune. It comprises two elements, the pre-head and the head. Both of them are
optional; it means that a tone group may have one of these patterns:
 the nuclear tone
 the head + the nuclear tone
 the pre-head + the nuclear tone
 the pre-head + the head + the nuclear tone

The Head. O’Connor and Arnold state that the head begins with the stressed
syllable of the first accented word and ends with the syllable preceding the nucleus.

Four types of the head are typical of unemphatic speech:

the Low Head Couldn't you just say yes or no?

the High Head Thank you very much.

 5

the Falling Head No one has ever accused me of lying.

the Rising Head What did you do that for?

Changing the shape of the head, we can make a word group sound more emphatic,
i.e. more lively and emotional.

The two types of the emphatic falling head are as follows:

the Stepping Head Nobody’s coming to his party!

the Sliding Head Nobody was surprised at all.

 6

The rising head also can be made more emphatic:

the Climbing Head What on earth did he say?

The Pre-head. O’Connor and Arnold define the pre-head as all the syllables
before the stressed syllable of the first accented word in a tune. The syllables in the pre-
head may be both unstressed and stressed.
In unemphatic speech, the pre-head typically has one or two syllables
pronounced on a low pich:

the Low Pre-head I could hardly believe it.

There is also an emphatic modification of the pre-head:

the High Pre-head But he wouldn’t tell me.

 7

3. SIMPLE AND COMPOUND TUNES

(O’Connor and Arnold, 1973: 28–30)

A tune containing one nuclear tone is regarded as simple (as in all the examples
above). A tune which contains two nuclear tones is called compound; basically, it is the
High Fall followed by the Low Rise:
He can’t come. I don’t agree.

The syllables between the High Fall and the Low Rise are pronounced on a low
pitch.
Everyone knows he’s a bore.

The High Fall may be preceded by the High Head.

I’d rather abstain from voting.

4 . STRESS AND ACCENT

(O’Connor and Arnold, 1973: 31–36)

Words are accented if in a given situation they are important to the speaker.
Accented words are always stressed. Besides, the most important words are marked by
a change in pitch (fall, rise, or their combinations) or a sustention of pitch (maintaining
 8

a level pitch between high and low). The movement/sustention of pitch combined with
stress are also perceived as accent. For example,
Where did you meet him? ║

I beg your pardon? ║

On the other hand, some words in an utterance may be stressed not because they
are important to the speaker, but for rhythmical purposes. The peculiarity of the rhythm
in English speech is that stressed syllables occur at approximately equal periods of time.
So some words are stressed just to maintain the rhythmical pattern of an utterance. They
are stressed but unaccented.
The accented syllables are
 the nuclear syllables,
 the stressed syllables in the head,
 the stressed syllables between the High Fall and the Low Rise in a
compound tune.
Stressed but unaccented syllables appear in the pre-head and the tail. For example,

I told him Mother would object.

Here told is a stressed syllable in the pre-head. Typically, the head starts with the
change of the level. In the example above, the head starts with the first syllable in the
word Mother.
 9

Consider another example:

Come and help me, please.

Here the tail consists of two syllables, me and please. The first one is unstressed; the
second one is stressed but unaccented.

5. THE TEN TONE GROUPS

(O’Connor and Arnold, 1973: 41–45,106–251, 287)

As it has been stated above, the tone group comprises tunes that have one (the
nuclear tone) or more (the pre-head, the head, the nuclear tone) pitch features in
common and convey the same attitude on the part of the speaker.
O’Connor and Arnold give their tone groups metaphorical names so that a learner
can imagine the direction of pitch movement in a particular pattern.

1. The Low Drop

Low Fall
may be preceded by
Low Pre-head / High Pre-head
and/or
High Head / Stepping Head

Attitude
detached, cool, flat, reserved, unsympathetic, categoric, hostile, serious
 10

2. The High Drop

High Fall / High Fall(s) + High Fall
may be preceded by
Low Pre-head / High Pre-head
and/or
High Head / Stepping Head

Attitude
light, lively, interested, mildly surprised; sometimes sceptical

3. The Take-off
Low Rise
may be preceded by
Low Pre-head / High Pre-head
and/or
Low Head

Attitude
encouraging further conversation, reserving judgment, wondering, mildly puzzled;
expressing criticism or disapproval

4. The Low Bounce

High Head + Low Rise
may be preceded by
Low Pre-head;
alternatively
High Pre-head + Low Rise;
alternatively
High Pre-head + High Head / Stepping Head + Low Rise
 11

Attitude
soothing, reassuring; sympathetically/genuinely interested, encouraging; puzled;
disapproving

5. The Switchback
Fall-Rise
may be preceded by
Low Pre-head / High Pre-head
and/or
Falling Head / Sliding Head;
alternatively
High Fall(s) + Fall-Rise
may be preceded by
Low Pre-head / High Pre-head

Attitude
grudgingly admitting, concerned, reserved; greatly astonished, interested, surprised;
scornful, reproachful, hurt

6. The Long Jump

Rising Head + High Fall / Climbing Head + High Fall
may be preceded by
Low Pre-head / High Pre-head

Attitude
protesting, (unpleasantly) surprised, with a note of critical surprise
 12

7. The High Bounce

High Rise
may be preceded by
Low Pre-head / High Pre-head
and/or
High Head / Stepping Head

Attitude
questioning, calling for repetition of the information already given, tentative, echoing the
listener’s question before giving an answer, casual

8. The Jackknife
Rise-Fall
may be preceded by
Low Pre-head / High Pre-head
and/or
High Head / Stepping Head

Attitude
impressed, complacent, self-satisfied, challenging, censorious, disclaiming responsibility
antagonistic

9. The High Dive

High Fall + (Low Accents +) Low Rise
may be preceded by
Low Pre-head / High Pre-head
and/or
High Head / Stepping Head
 13

Attitude
appealing to the listener to continue; expressing gladness, regret, surprise, despair;
pleading, persuading; encouraging, protesting

10. The Terrace

Mid-Level
may be preceded by
Low Pre-head / High Pre-head
and/or
High Head / Stepping Head

Attitude
(in non-final word groups) expressing non-finality; (in final word groups) calling out to
someone

Reference
1. O’Connor, J. D., Arnold, G.F. 1973. Intonation of colloquial English. 2nd edn.
London: Longman Group Ltd. 293 p.