Rhythm is the musicality of English–the ups and downs and the connected speech and the linking of words, which together, change how we say sentences.

1. Rhythm
• Rhythm is the musicality of English–
the ups and downs and the connected speech and
the linking of words, which together, change how we
say sentences.
• Rhythm is created by the strong stresses or beats in
a sentence. English has a stress-timed rhythm, this
means that its rhythm is determined by the number
of stress, not by the number of syllables.

2. Foot steep
 Some writers have developed theories of English Rhythm in which a unit
of rhythm, the foot, is used (with an obvious parallel in the metrical
analysis of verse); the foot begins with a stressed syllabe and includes all
following stressed syllable.
1 2 3 4 5
‘Walk | ‘down the | ‘path to the | ‘end of the ca|’nal

3. Rhythm: Portuguese X English
 Portuguese: Syllable-timed
• Tends to give syllables approximately equal notoriety and
generally lack reduced vowels.
 English: Stress-timed
• strongly related to vowel reduction processes.

4. Contraction
That is right! That’s right!
They will not sing. They won’t sing.

5. Blending and Word Reductions
Guns’n Roses
Leavmealone.
Howaryou?
I wanna takeabreak.

6. Linking
 When a word begins with a vowel sound, it’s often
pronounced as if it began with the final consonant sound of the
previous word.
Look up sounds like loo kup
Let’s eat now Let seat now
It’s open It sopen

7.  When the same consonant sound that ends one word also
begins the next word, that sound should not be pronounced
twice. It shoud be pronouced one time but with a slightly
lengthened articulation.
Warm milk sounds like war milk
Get two tickets. Ge two tickets
It’s less serious It’s le serious

8. Rhythm in Literature
 English literature is full of rhythmical poems and pieces of
prose. Rhythm in writing acts as beat does in music. The use
of rhythm in poetry arises from the need that some words are
to be produced more strongly than others. They might be
stressed for longer period of time. Hence, the repeat use of
rhythmical patterns of such accent produces rhythmical effect
wich sounds pleasent to the mind as well as to the soul. In
speech, rhythm is used unconsciously to creat identifiable
patterns. Moreover , rhythm captivates the audience the
audience and readers alike by giving musical effect to a speech
or a literary piece.

9. Quiz
 What is the main characteristc of the English
rhythm?
A) Syllable-timed
B) Stress-timed
C) Content-word

10.  About the unit of rhythm, the foot, is correct to
assert:
A) The foot begins with a stressed syllable and includes
all following unstressed syllables.
B) The foot is used to mark the unstressed syllable.
C) The main function of the foot is to mark the pauses.

11.  According to the linking rules, which phrases are correct to
assert:
A) It’s open It’so pen
B) Warm milk warmm ilk
C) Get tired Ge tired

12. References
 Roach, Peter. English phonetics and phonology: a pratical
course. Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge. 1991.
 Examples of Rhythm in Literature. Dísponivel em:
Literarydevices.net/rhythm/ >Acesso em 19.05.2014.
