Analysing the speech rhythm of New Englishes

Abstract

Most New Englishes are classified as syllable-timed and many L1 varieties of English as stress-timed. However, much empirical work on varieties of English and other languages has shown that a categorical distinction between discrete rhythm classes is not commensurate with the empirical evidence. Moreover, the comparability of published research is hampered by a lack of methodological standardization. This chapter provides a step-by-step guide for researchers and charts new avenues for future enquiries, illustrated with a case study comparing Pakistani, Nigerian, Philippine, and British English. Results indicate that the first three can be described as more syllable-timed than British English, but also that a binary classification of syllable- vs. stress-timed does not fully do justice to the results.