Which of the following are features that appear when sounds are connected in speech?

• A. Discourse markers
• B. Prosodic features
• C. Phonemes
• D. Intonation only

Answer: (B)

When sounds are connected in speech, the flow and meaning come alive through prosody—the pattern of pitch, stress, rhythm, and tempo that unfold across the spoken whole. These prosodic features show up because words blend together in natural speech, not as isolated sounds. They help signal questions vs. statements, emphasize important information, and convey attitudes or emotions.

Prosodic features include intonation (pitch changes across a phrase or sentence), stress (which syllables or words receive emphasis), rhythm and timing (the pace and grouping of sounds), and durations of sounds. These elements vary with connected speech and carry meaning beyond the individual phonemes themselves.

Discourse markers are related to how we structure talk (like words that signal transitions), not the acoustic patterns created by linking sounds. Phonemes are the basic sound units themselves, present whether speech is linked or not. Saying “intonation only” is too narrow because prosody covers more than just pitch changes; it includes stress, rhythm, tempo, and duration as well.