Utterancetype

Utterancetype is a term used in linguistics and natural language processing to denote the classification of an utterance by its functional type. The word blends “utterance” and “type” and is often employed informally to discuss how a sentence functions in communication. In many discussions, utterancetype aligns with traditional mood-based categories such as declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamative, though some authors treat it as a broader or more language-specific notion.

In descriptive linguistics, utterancetype serves as a label for annotating discourse or corpora, helping researchers analyze how speakers use language to perform actions, state information, or express attitudes. In computational contexts, utterancetype classification supports dialogue management, intent recognition, and response generation. Systems may derive utterancetype from cues such as sentence structure, punctuation, discourse markers, and prosody in speech.

Examples illustrate the common categories: “Close the door.” is an imperative utterancetype; “What time is it?” is an interrogative utterancetype; “It is raining.” is a declarative utterancetype; “Amazing!” is an exclamative utterancetype. However, real-world classification can be more nuanced, as many languages encode illocutionary force through morphology, word order, particles, or prosody, rather than fixed sentence types alone.

Limitations and variations include cross-linguistic differences in how utterance type is marked and interpreted, and the tendency for prosody and context to shift perceived illocutionary force in spoken interaction. Because “utterancetype” is not universally standardized, some scholars equate it with speech acts or dialog acts rather than a separate category.

See also: Speech act, Dialog act, Illocutionary force, Utterance, Pragmatics, Prosody.