Research Article

SUPRASEGMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS OF NIGERIAN ENGLISH: AN ANALYSIS

ISSN: 3067-2864

DOI Prefix: 10.5281/zenodo.

Authors: Chinyere Ngozi Igbokwe, Michael Oluwaseun Adegboye
Published: Volume 11, Issue 2 (2024)
Date: July 3, 2025

Abstract

English in Nigeria is a second language; hence, Nigerian English can be categorised as English as a Second Language (ESL) because it is a product of colonial settlement, it is learnt through the education system, it is spoken in an environment where majority of speakers are non-native; and it has become nativised by taking some of the features of the native languages. This paper examines some aspects of the suprasegmental features of Nigerian English with emphasis on stress assignment. Vowels and consonants can be considered to be the segments of which speech is composed. Together they form syllables, which in turn make up utterances. Superimposed on the syllables, are other features that include variations in stress (accent) and pitch (tone and intonation). Variations in length are also considered to be the suprasegmental features, although they can affect single segments as well as whole syllables. All of the suprasegmental features are characterised by the fact that they must be the same utterance. Taking educated speakers of English in Nigeria as the case study, this study finds that Nigerian speakers are still struggling to attain proficiency in spoken English; a fact that should be expected considering the period at which Nigerians are introduced to the English language.Β