English Spoken Language Features

Ellipsis

Missing out words creating incomplete construction

False start

Starting then restarting an utterance to correct it

Adjacency pair

A conversational structure where one speaker's utterance prompts a specific response from another speaker.

Discourse marker

Words or phrases that organize discourse and guide conversation flow.

Hedge

Word/phrase which softens the force that something is said

Tag question

A declarative or imperative followed by a short interrogative

prosodic features

aspects of speech such as intonation, stress, and rhythm that convey meaning beyond words.

elision

The omission of sounds or syllables in spoken language, often to facilitate smoother or faster speech.

repair

Self correction mid utterance

Dialect

Specific words/grammar uses associated with a speific region

contraction

two words are combined into one by omitting certain sounds or letters, commonly used in informal speech.

phatic language

small talk with purely social function

colloquial language

informal language used in everyday conversation

taboo language

language that is socially prohibited or restricted, often considered offensive or inappropriate in certain contexts.