Phonostylistics: Segmental Phonostylistic Peculiarities

Phonostylistics
Segmental phonostylistic peculiarities
Phonostylistics is a branch of linguistics which analyses phonetic

phenomena from the stylistic point of view. Phonostylistics studies the way
phonetic units, both segmental (sounds) and suprasegmental (intonation), are used
in a particular extralinguistic situation.
The aim of phonostylistics is to analyse all possible kinds of spoken

utterances with the main purpose of identifying the phonetic features which are
restricted to certain kinds of contexts, to explain why such features have been used
and to classify them into categories based upon a view of their function.
Phonostylistic is concerned with the study of phonetic phenomena and

processes from the stylistic point of view. It cropped up as a result of a certain
amount of functional overlap between phonetics and stylistics.
Intonation plays a central role in stylistic differentiation of oral texts.

Stylistically explicable deviations from intonational norms reveal conventional
patterns differing from language to language.
The uses of intonation show that the information so conveyed is, in many
cases, impossible to separate from lexical and grammatical meanings expressed by
words and constructions in a language (verbal context) and from the co-occurring
situational information (non-verbal context). The meaning of intonation cannot be
judged in isolation. However, intonation does not usually correlate in any neat one-
for-one way with the verbal context accompanying and the situational variables in
an extra-linguistic context. Moreover, the perceived contrast with the intonation of
the previous utterance seems to be relevant.
Extralinguistic situation consists of 3 components.
1) The purpose. It’s the most important factor that guides the
communication. The purpose is what you want to achieve (to get / give
information, to instruct, to entertain, to chat). The aim is very important as far as
pronunciation is concerned.
The subject matters less important but it still matters. This factor can bring
numerous variations in pronunciation which are determined both by individual
characteristics of the speaker and the character of their relationship.
We must consider individual and socio-cultural features: the social status,

social group or class the speaker belongs to.
2) Participants. Another important aspect is the character of participant
relationship which is reflected in the tenor of discourse: formal / informal,
friendly / unfriendly, and it effects greatly the choice of linguistic means.
The social roles of the speaker are also important. We have authority
subordination relationship (boss-employee).
3) Scene / setting. This component has several factors:
- physical orientations of the participants (the distance between people)
Setting can be also described in the following terms: public / non-public,

formal / informal, monologuing / poliloguing, dialoguing.
It also includes the cannel of communication: face to face, public

presentation, telephone, mass media.
All the components of extralinguistic situation influence the choice of

linguistic means.
The Classification of Phonetic Styles

- Declamatory (Belles-letters style: drama, poetry, emotive prose);
- Publicistic;
- Academic;
- Informational;
- Conversational.
* Poetic style can be included in Declamatory style or investigated

separately.
The main types of phonostylistic processes are:
- assimilations, e.g. of stops and nasals, as in: that pen, good mother, could
get, ten men; palatalization and coalescence, e.g. in: did you, hit you, don’t you, as
yet
- reductions, e.g. cluster reductions and degeminations, as in: a test drive, I

asked him; smoothing, as in: hour, lawyer
- hiatus avoidance, e.g. in: law and order; situation
2
- assimilation + reduction, e.g. in: I can’t go, don’t be silly
- reduction and elision of vowels conditioned by rhythm in iso-accentual,

stress-timed languages, e.g. perhaps
- consonant epenthesis, e.g. in: prin [t] ce, min [t] ce.

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Phonostylistics

Segmental phonostylistic peculiarities

Phonostylistics is a branch of linguistics which analyses phonetic

The aim of phonostylistics is to analyse all possible kinds of spoken

Phonostylistic is concerned with the study of phonetic phenomena and

Intonation plays a central role in stylistic differentiation of oral texts.

Extralinguistic situation consists of 3 components.

We must consider individual and socio-cultural features: the social status,

3) Scene / setting. This component has several factors:

- physical orientations of the participants (the distance between people)

Setting can be also described in the following terms: public / non-public,

It also includes the cannel of communication: face to face, public

All the components of extralinguistic situation influence the choice of

The Classification of Phonetic Styles

* Poetic style can be included in Declamatory style or investigated

The main types of phonostylistic processes are:

- reductions, e.g. cluster reductions and degeminations, as in: a test drive, I

- hiatus avoidance, e.g. in: law and order; situation

- reduction and elision of vowels conditioned by rhythm in iso-accentual,

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