THE STYLISTIC OF THE SOUND

- Phonetic expressive means:

The sound system enables us to express meaning in both verbal and non-verbal ways.
Verbal meaning (what we say) is based on vowels and consonants to construct
words, phrases and sentences. Non-verbal meaning (how we say) makes use of
such factors as: intonation, rhythm, tone, voice to provide speech with much of its
structure and expressiveness.
Pitch, loudness and speed, used alone or in combination, and accompanied by
pause make up the prosodic (phonetic) features of the language, which are the
most powerful means of emotional and logical intensification.
Different pitch levels (tones) are used to express a wide range of meanings.
Loudness is used to convey anger, menace and excitement.
By speeding up (tempo) the rate at which we utter phrases and sentences, we
can convey excitement and impatience. By slowing down we convey emphases and
thoughtfulness (care).
Among the non-verbal features are: whisper (secrecy and conspiracy), breathiness
(deep emotion), huskiness (unimportance or criticism), nasality (anxiety) and extra
lip-rounding (especially when talking to babies or animals, to provide intimacy).
Phonetic figures of speech:
It is a fundamental principle of linguistics that individual sounds do not have meaning.
However, there are cases when native speakers feel that there is some kind of
meaningful connection between the sound and the properties of the outside world.
This phenomenon is called sound symbolism. The sound symbolic effects can be
studied from different points of view. The phonetic figures of speech explain which
sounds or combinations of sounds are most often involved and what effect they can
have on the speaker.
Onomatopoeia is the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound
associated with it (buzz, bang, click). Onomatopoeia may also refer to the use of
words whose sounds suggest the meaning. Thus the phonetic structure of the word
proves to be important for creating expressive and emotional connotations. A
message containing onomatopoeic words is not limited to transmitting the logical
information only, but also provides the vivid description of the situation. This occurs
most frequently in poetry, where a line or a verse can express a characteristic of the
described thing. By using combinations of speech sounds, a writer intends at
associating with a thing or phenomenon which produces them. Often writers coin
(invent) onomatopoeic clustering (cateva sunete) in order to adopt the writing to the
readers needs, age and background. Thus a UK childrens annual list of onomatopoeic
expressions include: aw, bah, wow, ouf, r-r-raw etc. The language of swearing includes
short, sharp words in order to express insult or curse (crap).
Alliteration is a phonetic stylistic device which aims at conveying a melodic effect to
the utterance. The essence of alliteration lies in the repetition of similar sounds,
especially consonant sounds, enclose succession, especially at the beginning of
successive words. The alliterating sounds may differ in spelling (King Cole alliterates,

while apt artful doesnt). when the requiring sounds do not begin the word, the
phenomenon is known as consonance (if the sounds are consonants hill and dale)
and assonance (if the sounds are vowels mad cap).
Alliteration doesnt have any lexical meaning, however certain sounds if repeated may
produce an effect that can be specified. Therefore, alliteration is regarded as a kind of
musical accompaniment of the authors idea, supporting it with some vague
emotional atmosphere which each reader interprets for himself / herself. Thus, the
repetition of the sound [d] conveys an idea of anxiety, fear, horror, anger. The
repetition of [m] is considered as conveying a somnolent effect.
Alliteration in the English language is deeply rooted in the English folklore. In the old
English poetry, alliteration was one of the basic principles of verse: each stressed
meaningful word in a line had to begin with the same sound or combination of sounds.
Alliteration has shown remarkable stability and it is frequently used as a well-tested
means not only in poetry, but also in prose, in news-paper headlines, in book titles, in
proverbs and say sayings (blind as a bat; it is neck or nothing). Alliteration is often
employed in slogans and advertising (youll wonder where the yellow went when you
brash teeth with Fops dent).
Rhyme is the correspondence of syllables especially at the end of poetic lines. Rhyme
functions as an element of rhythm, emphasizing the beat.
Types of rhymes:
1. Masculine rhymes the final syllable of the word or line is stressed (spring
bring)
2. Feminine rhymes 2 consecutive syllables, the first of which is stressed, are
alike / similar (certain curtain).
3. Triple rhymes all the 3 syllables of a word are identical (flowery showery).
4. Perfect rhymes words in which the vowel and the following consonant in a
stressed syllable are identical in sound, even if spelled differently (two to).
5. Eye / sight rhymes the words look as if they rhyme, but they do not (move
love).
A pair of rhyming lines is called a couplet; 3 rhyming lines a triplet.
In cross rhyme every other line rhymes.
Rhyme is found in almost all the period of the English poetry. Not all the verse is
rhymed. A notable type of unrhymed verse used in English poetry is blank verse,
which consists of unrhymed lines. It is the basic type of verse found in the plays of
Shakespeare.
Rhythm pitch, loudness, speed and silence combine to produce the effect known as
speech rhythm. Our sense of rhythm is a perception that there are prominent units
occurring at regular intervals as we speak. All forms of the spoken stylish have their
rhythm. Though in spontaneous speech it is difficult to hear it because hesitations,
interfere with the smooth flow of speech. In fluent speech, however, there is a clear
rhythm, which is called a stress-timed rhythm, based on the use of stressed vowels
which occur at approximately regular intervals. In the contrast with a syllable-timed

rhythm of a language such as French, the syllables have an equal force, giving a
marked rat-a-tat-a-tat effect. In prose the rhythm confers balance to the sentence
and arrangement of words. Rhythm is a basic structure governing poetry.
Rhythm may contribute to the rhythmic effect. Rhythm is very strong at arousing (a
starni, a provoca) emotions. The deliberate arrangement of words into regular
patterns intended to be grasped as a definite periodicity , makes rhythm a stylistic
device.