Timing (linguistics)

Timing, in linguistics, refers to the rhythmic qualities of speech in a given language. There are 3 basic ways to assign time units (or "beats") to words.

Stress-timing

In a stress-timed language, the stressed syllables lasts longer. English is a stress-timed language.

Syllable-timing

In a syllable-timed language, every syllable takes up roughly the same amount of time when pronounced. Spanish is a syllable-timed language.

Mora-timing

In a mora-timed language, every mora takes up roughly the same amount of time when pronounced. Japanese is a mora-timed language.

Other information

Of course these patterns can change over time or be borrowed from other languages. For example, Mexican Spanish, due to close contact with American English, shows a marked tendency towards stress timing. There are reports of Mexican people pronouncing "los Estados Unidos" as two syllables -- which actually means the speaker marks two "beats" or stress peaks (over /ta/ and /ni/), in the same way that e. g. an Argentine speaker would mark the two syllabic peaks in a word like "pompón". The pervasive vowel reduction and shortening found in English is in part a consequence of stress timing; Mexican Spanish under this influence shows signs of vowel shortening as well.