ABSTRACT

We will begin by discussing what rhythm is and then go on to discuss its function. The rhythm of English is based on the contrast of stressed and unstressed syllables. If you watch an English speaker talking you will be able to see, without hearing what he is saying, where the stressed syllables are. All the big muscular movements that he makes are in time with the stressed syllables. When he waves his arms, nods his head, puts his foot down, raises his eyebrows, frowns, opens his jaw more widely, purses his lips; all this is done in time with the rhythm of speech. This is of course hardly surprising. All human physical activity which is extended in time tends to be rhyth­ mical activity-breathing, running, walking, sewing, knitting, swimming, peeling potatoes for example. The rhythm may not be absolute, some ‘strokes’ may be missing and some may be mistimed

but there is a sense in which all these activities can get into ‘a rhyth­ mical swing5. Speech is just like these other activities. There is a tendency for a rhythm to be established in speech. The rhythmic beat in English is the stressed syllable. These beats will coincide with other muscular beats of the body. This unity of bodily rhythm and speech rhythm is particularly clearly seen in the case of the stutterer who, when he gets stuck on an articulation, may enlarge some other muscular rhythm-nod his head or tap with his foot-in trying to re-establish the speech rhythm.