Recognising regional pitch differences

The idea

Pitch accent describes patterns of relative high and low pitch, including where a fall occurs. Tokyo and Kyoto belong to different accent traditions, so a Tokyo dictionary pattern cannot be assumed for every region. Listen to a word together with its following particle: the pitch after the word can reveal whether a fall has occurred.

Examples

• 同おなじ言葉ことばでも地域ちいきによって音おとの高たかさが違ちがいます。The pitch of the same word differs by region.
• 東京とうきょうと京都きょうとの話はなし方かたを聞きき比くらべます。I compare speech from Tokyo and Kyoto.
• 単語たんごだけでなく助詞じょしまで聞ききます。I listen through the particle, not just the word.
• 音おとが下さがる場所ばしょに注意ちゅういします。I pay attention to where the pitch falls.
• 話はなす人ひとや場面ばめんによっても発音はつおんは変かわります。Pronunciation also changes with the speaker and situation.
• 違ちがいに気きづいたら文脈ぶんみゃくも確たしかめます。When I notice a difference, I check the context too.

Watch out

A difference is not necessarily regional: individual speakers, emphasis and sentence intonation also affect pitch. A single recording cannot represent a whole region, and a synthetic voice may obscure the contrast.

Try it yourself

1. 地域ちいきによって同おなじ言葉ことばの音おとの高たかさは変かわりますか。（はい／いいえ）

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   はい

   Yes. The same word can have different pitch patterns in different regions.

2. 単語たんごの後あとに何なにまで聞ききますか。（助詞じょし／文字もじ）

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   助詞

   助詞: listening through the particle can make a fall after the word audible.

3. 違ちがいに気きづいたら何なにも確たしかめますか。（文脈ぶんみゃく／天気てんき）

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   文脈

   文脈: context helps interpret what you hear and separates a possible regional difference from sentence intonation.

Use it today

Compare recordings of the same word and particle from speakers in two regions. Mark the high and low stretches and any fall, then listen again in context; answer the questions below.