Suprasegmental Units of Language

nonlinear units of language that are superimposed on segmental units. Such suprasegmental units of language as syllables, words, and phrases become distinguished during the sequential linear segmentation of the spoken chain.

Suprasegmental units of language include such prosodic elements as length, tone, intensity, melodies, rhythm, and intonation, as well as markers indicating the juncture of segmental units. Suprasegmental units of language are sometimes divided into suprasegmental phonemes of length (chronemes), of tone (tonemes), or of juncture. An additional category of suprasegmental units of language is suprasegmental morphemes, that is, those prosodic elements that are regularly associated with the expression of grammatical differences.