GLOTTAL STOP AND PHONOSTYLISTIC VARIETY IN GERMAN MEDIA SPEECH
Abstract
The article presents a comprehensive analysis of phonostylistic variation in German media discourse, taking into account the interaction of prosodic, articulatory and communicative factors. The object of the study is the sounding speech of news anchors, presenters of informational programs and talk show moderators, which is considered as a representation of the contemporary supraregional pronunciation standard of the German language. The aim of the study is to identify the regularities of glottal stop realization and to determine its dependence on the degree of stress, speech tempo and type of discourse. The methodological framework of the research includes phonetic analysis, quantitative processing of empirical data, elements of auditory analysis, as well as the interpretation of results within modern phonostylistic approaches. It has been established that the realization of the glottal stop is gradient in nature and directly correlates with the degree of accentuation: it occurs significantly more frequently in primary stressed syllables, whereas reduction processes and coarticulatory phenomena dominate in unstressed positions. It has been demonstrated that speech tempo functions as a key regulator of phonostylistic variation: its acceleration leads to decreased articulatory clarity, segmental elision and increased coarticulation, while slower tempo ensures greater explicitness and stability of phonetic realization. It has been determined that prepared speech (news broadcasts) is characterized by a high level of normativity, standardization and prosodic organization, whereas spontaneous speech (interviews and talk shows) demonstrates increased variability, reduction and flexibility of articulatory strategies. The results obtained confirm that phonostylistic variation in German media discourse is a dynamic and gradient phenomenon determined by the interaction of prosodic structures, articulatory mechanisms, speech tempo and communicative conditions, which shape the realization of the pronunciation standard in different types of sounding speech.