Intonation: High Rising Tone

AusE has a distinctive intonation pattern which has been the subject of a number of studies (Guy and Vonwiller 1984; Horvath 1985 and Guy et al. 1986). The pattern is variously referred to as High Rising Tone (HRT) or Australian Questioning Intonation and is defined as a rising contour on a declarative clause. This intonation pattern receives a good deal of media attention and is widely believed to be used excessively by teenage girls and to be a sign of insecurity. Below is an example of a description of a primary school by an AusE speaker. The arrow indicates where the rising tone occurred.

In order to study the distribution of this intonation pattern, a large number of interviews with AusE speakers was subdivided into the following text types: descriptions, opinions, explanations, factual texts, and narratives. Statistical analysis showed that HRTs were most likely to be found in descriptions and narratives and least likely in opinions and factual texts. Explanations neither favor nor disfavor the use of HRTs. The length of the turn at talk was also investigated and it was found that multiclause turns were most likely to include an HRT. The social distribution matches somewhat the public perception: it is indeed teenage working class girls who are most likely to use HRTs but it certainly is the case that HRTs are used by speakers of all ages and from both working and middle class backgrounds. In fact, the case has been made that the HRT is a language change that is currently going on in AusE and is one that is being led by women. A number of potential interpretations of the function of HRTs has been offered including seeking verification of the listener’s comprehension or as requesting the heightened participation of the listener – both of which are plausible when extended turns at talk are taken, e.g. in narratives. It certainly does not seem to be an indicator of insecurity since it is not found as often in factual texts or opinions, texts in which the speaker might have some concern about the correctness of their facts or the acceptability of their opinions to the listener.