pauses types functions del

1.

Pauses: types,
functions, and
discourse relevance.
Zubovich Egor, group A-22

2.

Definition of a pause
Pause is an interval of silence within the flow of speech.
They play a crucial role in structuring spoken language,
acting as natural boundaries that shape the flow and
meaning of discourse.

3.

Types of pauses
Phoneticians distinguish 3 main types of pauses:
• silent pauses
• pauses of perception
• voiced (filled) pauses

4.

Silent pauses
A silent pause is a complete stop in the phonation.
These pause are often not absolutely silent – they
can contain breathing sounds, tongue clicks or
articulatory movements, recognized by the listener
as a break.
They vary in length: short, long, extra-long – to
indicate a the strength of a boundary.
"I need you to focus on three things: efficiency
[pause], quality [pause], and speed." – short.
The results are in... [long pause] ...and we
didn't make the target." – long.
"I have one final, crucial thought for you to
consider... [extra-long pause] ...What is your
legacy?" – extra-long.

5.

Pauses of perception
There are not a stop in phonation, as there is no period of silence. The effect of a pause
is produced by a sharp change of pitch direction, or by variations in duration, or both.
Pauses of perception are generally marked by a wavy line
The teacher says | John is very bright.

6.

Voiced pauses
It is a non-silent, vocalized interruption in the flow of speech. voiced pauses contain
audible phonation, such as "um," "uh," or drawn-out vowel sounds ("ahhh").
They usually have the
quality of the central
vowel [3:] with or
without nasalization [э].
And are used to signal
hesitation or doubt.

7.

Functions of pauses
In theoretical phonetics pauses have 3 main functions:
• Segmentative function – pauses break the continuous stream of speech
into smaller, manageable, and meaningful units
• Deliminative function – pauses delimit one utterance or intonation group
from another.
• Unifying function – shows the relations between utterances or intonation
groups.

8.

Discource relevance
of pauses
A pause is far more than just a silence or a hesitation. It is a powerful communicative
tool that listeners actively interpret to understand a speaker's intent, manage the flow of
conversation, and structure information. Pauses are brief interruptions in the flow of
speech that serve as natural boundaries, dividing the speech continuum into meaningful
units of different length and hierarchy. They are essential constituents of intonation, and
their duration is relative, varying with the general tempo of speech.
They may be silent, voiced or perceived through pitch/duration and they perform
segmentative, delimitative, and unifying functions in discourse.

9.

Questions
1. What are the main types of pauses?
2. How many varieties of silent pauses do you
know?
3. Name 3 functions of pauses.