Does Your Question Rise at the End?

Polish yes/no questions are often signaled mainly by word order or context, with pitch playing a smaller role, so your voice might stay fairly level or fall by the end, even when asking a question in English. American English yes/no questions, though, almost always end with a clear upward pitch movement on the final stressed syllable, almost like your voice is reaching up at the very last moment. Compare 'You finished it.' (flat or falling) with 'You finished it?' (a clear rise at the end), the words are identical, but the melody changes the meaning completely. Try saying 'Is this seat taken?', 'Do you have a minute?', and 'Can you hear me?' out loud, letting your pitch climb noticeably on the very last word. For today's two-minute practice, record three yes/no questions, then hum just the melody afterward to check it rises at the end. Exaggerate the climb at first, it will feel natural again once your ear gets used to expecting it.