Exclamatory sentences express strong emotion, and in English, intonation is what separates a genuinely excited response from a flat or even sarcastic one. When someone says "That's amazing" with a level, monotone voice, it can sound bored or dismissive. With the right pitch pattern, that same sentence conveys real enthusiasm. Getting exclamatory intonation right is essential for expressing emotions naturally in spoken English.
The Basic Pattern: High Start, Falling Pitch
Unlike questions (which often rise) or neutral statements (which stay level), exclamatory sentences typically start HIGH and fall dramatically. The stressed word receives the highest pitch in the sentence, and then the voice drops sharply.
Compare these two:
- "That's nice." (flat statement, level pitch)
- "That's NICE!" (exclamation, high peak on "nice" then sharp fall)
The key is finding the emotionally important word and launching your voice up before letting it fall. The wider the pitch range, the more genuine the emotion sounds.
"What a...!" Exclamations
One of the most common exclamatory structures in English uses "What a" followed by an adjective and noun. The adjective always carries the highest pitch, and the voice falls through the noun and any remaining words.
Pattern: What a + adjective + noun + !
Intonation: "What" starts mid-high, "a" stays low, the adjective peaks HIGH, then the voice falls through the noun.
"How...!" Exclamations
The "How" exclamatory structure places the adjective or adverb immediately after "How," giving it maximum emphasis. This pattern is slightly more formal than "What a" but appears often in both speech and writing.
Pattern: How + adjective/adverb + (subject + verb) + !
Intonation: "How" starts mid-high, then the adjective receives the full pitch peak before falling.
"So" and "Such" Exclamations
"So" and "Such" are intensifiers that appear in exclamatory sentences to amplify adjectives, adverbs, and noun phrases. These are among the most natural-sounding exclamations in everyday spoken English.
Use "so" before adjectives and adverbs. Use "such" before noun phrases (a/an + adjective + noun).
Negative Exclamations
English also uses negative structures to express strong surprise or disbelief. These exclamations often start with the stressed negative word or phrase, and the pitch falls dramatically through the rest of the sentence.
Notice how the stressed word (marked in bold in speech) carries the emotional weight. In "I can't BELIEVE it," the word "believe" gets the peak pitch, not "can't."
Intonation Patterns at a Glance
| Pattern Type | Example | Pitch Direction | Emotion Expressed |
|---|---|---|---|
| What a + adj + noun | What a beautiful day! | High rise on adjective, sharp fall | Admiration, delight |
| How + adj/adv | How wonderful! | High rise on adjective, sharp fall | Admiration, surprise |
| So + adjective | It's so beautiful! | Rise on "so," continued rise then fall on adjective | Amazement, enthusiasm |
| Such + noun phrase | What a long day! | Rise on "such," fall on noun | Emphasis, exasperation |
| Negative exclamation | No way! / I can't believe it! | Sharp high peak on key word, fast fall | Disbelief, shock |
Common Mistakes
Learners from Spanish, Portuguese, and French backgrounds often make the same intonation errors with English exclamations. Here are the most frequent issues and how to fix them.
- Flat intonation: Saying "What a beautiful day" with a level, unchanging pitch sounds bored or even sarcastic in English. You must allow your voice to jump up and then fall dramatically.
- Rising at the end: Ending an exclamation with a rising pitch turns it into a question. "What a mess?" sounds like you are unsure, not shocked.
- Too narrow a pitch range: English uses a wider pitch range for exclamations than Spanish, Portuguese, or French. If your voice stays within a small range, the exclamation sounds unenthusiastic or insincere.
- Stressing the wrong word: In "I can't BELIEVE it," the stress belongs on "believe," not on "can't." Placing stress on the wrong word shifts the meaning or makes the sentence sound unnatural.
- Forgetting the fall: The most important feature of an English exclamation is the steep downward fall after the peak. Without it, the emotion does not come through clearly.
Practice Sentences
Read each sentence aloud. The word in capital letters is where your voice should reach its highest pitch. Let your voice fall after that word.
- "What a WONDERFUL surprise!" (peak on WUN, fall through "surprise")
- "How INCREDIBLE!" (peak on KRED, fast fall)
- "It's SO good!" (peak on GOOD, fall)
- "No WAY!" (sharp peak on WAY, fast fall)
- "I can't BELIEVE how fast he is!" (peak on LIEVE, gradual fall)
- "What BEAUTIFUL music!" (peak on BYU, fall through "music")
- "She's SUCH a talented singer!" (peak on TAL, fall through "singer")
- "How STRANGE that he didn't call!" (peak on STRANGE, gradual fall)