Which term refers to the features that modify meaning beyond segmental sounds, such as stress and intonation?

• A. Pitch
• B. Suprasegmentals
• C. Allomorphs
• D. Juncture

Answer: (B)

Suprasegmentals refer to features that modify meaning beyond segmental sounds, such as stress and intonation. These prosodic elements operate across syllables, words, and larger units, shaping emphasis, mood, question or statement force, and overall rhythm of speech. Stress can change how a word or phrase is interpreted, while intonation patterns signal things like a question, surprise, or confidence. Pitch is one aspect of suprasegmentals, but using it alone is too narrow to describe all these features. Allomorphs are about morphological variants of a morpheme, not prosody, and juncture is a specific boundary cue within speech. Since the question targets the general category that encompasses stress and intonation, suprasegmentals is the best fit.