Practise with spelling and mouth movement; no recording is attached.
The idea
In a neutral yes-no question, pitch often rises at the end. In an information question beginning with a question word, pitch often falls. Keep the jaw relaxed and let the voice glide up or down; pitch is controlled by the vocal folds, not mouth position. Context, accent and attitude can change the pattern.
Examples
- Is the gate open?
- Where is the green cup?
- Can we plant beans here?
- When does the shop close?
- Did the rain stop?
- Why is the lamp on?
Read-aloud uses a synthetic English voice on your device. Quality and availability vary; it does not assess pronunciation.
No English device voice is available. You can still read the examples.
Watch out
A question mark does not always mean a rise: information questions often end with a fall.
Try it yourself
In the neutral question “Are the tickets ready?”, which ending is common: rise or fall?
Show answer or example answer
rise
rise: this neutral yes-no question often ends higher.
In the neutral question “Where is my coat?”, which ending is common: rise or fall?
Show answer or example answer
fall
fall: the question asks for a place, so a fall is common.
In the neutral question “When will the bus arrive?”, which ending is common: rise or fall?
Show answer or example answer
fall
fall: the question asks for a time, so a fall is common.
Practice round
Answer questions and rebuild English sentences to practise. Your score is shown.
In the neutral question “Are the tickets ready?”, which ending is common: rise or fall?
In the neutral question “Where is my coat?”, which ending is common: rise or fall?
In the neutral question “When will the bus arrive?”, which ending is common: rise or fall?
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Keep your progress
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Say a yes-no question with a rise and an information question with a fall.