Accentedness

Accentedness is the degree to which a syllable, word, or phrase stands out in speech due to prosodic prominence. In many languages, prominence is produced by higher pitch, greater loudness, and longer duration, often together with changes in vowel quality. When a syllable carries a pitch accent or is lengthened, it is said to have higher accentedness than surrounding syllables. The concept is used in phonology, phonetics, and sociolinguistics to describe patterns of emphasis and their perceptual effects.

Across languages, accentedness is realized through different mechanisms. Some languages use fixed stress patterns; others have variable stress that listeners perceive as accentedness in context. Accentedness also signals discourse function, such as focus, contrast, or topic boundaries. It can interact with intonation, rhythm, and tempo to shape the overall prosodic contour.

Measurement and perception studies identify acoustic correlates of accentedness, including higher fundamental frequency (F0), greater intensity, and longer duration, though the relative contributions vary by language and speaker. Experimental approaches include production tasks, perceptual judgments, and phonological modeling.

Sociolinguistic research shows that perceived accentedness can reflect regional, social, or individual identity, and judgments about accentedness can influence attitudes and communication outcomes. In everyday speech the term is less common, but scholars use it to discuss how emphasis patterns contribute to meaning beyond segmental content.