Which concept encompasses rhythm and intonation patterns of speech?

• A. Phonotactics
• B. Prosody
• C. Utterance
• D. Polysemy

Answer: (B)

Prosody is the feature that covers rhythm, stress, and intonation patterns in speech. It describes how syllables are timed, which parts of a word or phrase are emphasized, and how pitch rises and falls to signal questions, statements, emotions, or emphasis. This is precisely what rhythm and intonation refer to, making prosody the best fit.

Phonotactics focuses on which sound sequences are allowed in a language, not how speech flows or rises and falls. An utterance is a complete spoken unit, but it doesn’t itself capture the patterning of voice and timing. Polysemy is about a word having multiple meanings, which isn’t related to how speech is rhythmically or musically voiced.