Styles of Pronunciation

STYLES OF PRONUNCIATION

The pronunciation of one and the same person may be different on different occasions. For instance, when the speaker is delivering a lecture, speaking over the radio, giving a dictation exercise, or when he is talking to official people he wants to be clearly understood that’s why he should sound explicit and his pronunciation may be characterized as correct or even super-correct. In informal situations where the speakers are more relaxed less attention is given to the speech and it will sound more natural and simplified, for example when the speaker is chatting with his intimate friends.
These different ways of pronouncing words when people adopt their language to particular situations are called styles of pronunciation. These variations depend on the aim and the contents of the utterance, the circumstances of communication, the character of the audience, the relationship between the speaker and the listener, the degree of formality of their speech, the type of activity, etc.
Stylistic variations are those variations in the pronunciation of speech sounds, words and sentences, which are peculiar to different styles of pronunciation.
There have been several attempts to classify styles of pronunciation. Thus, Professor D. Jones has suggested the following styles of pronunciation:
- the rapid familiar style
- the slower colloquial style
- the natural style used in addressing a fair-sized audience
- the acquired style of the stage
- the acquired styles used in singing
But, as we see there is no indication to the characteristic features of each style in this classification, nor there is any principle given that might help to distinguish one style from another.
Some authors confuse styles of pronunciation with literary styles. For example Professor R.I. Avanessov mentions the following styles: - common colloquial
- poetic