Some Phonetic Correlates of Stylisation in the Step-Down Contour

In this paper a particular type of stylised intonation contour is examined: a stepping down sequence of two pitch plateaux.This is often referred to as the calling contour, as it may.amongst other things.be used to attracts person's attention.It has been suggested by previous commentators that the minor third predominates as the pitch interval between the two plateaux in such contours.At the same time, the favoured end pitch of the second plateau is hypothesised to be in mid-range.This paper presents the results of a pilot perceptual studydesigned to investigate the favoured interval.preferred end pitch and preferred starting pitch in stylised step-down contours.Both intonationaily experienced and naive subjects were presented with step-down contours of varying pitch separation and asked to rate them on a seven point scale.Results indicated that intervals in the range minor third to fourth (3-5 semitones) were preferred over other ones.with a nonsigni cant preference for the major third being displayed.In addition, for a selected subset of the subjects, there was an increasing preference for the contour as it shifted up in the pitch range.