The phonetic constitution of a turn-holding practice

There is a need to get to grips with the phonetic design of talk in its totality and without a separation of prosodic and non-prosodic aspects. Features of duration, phonation and articulation are all shown to be systematic features of rush-throughs, and bound up with the turn-holding function of the practice. Data are drawn from audio and video recordings made in a range of interactional settings, all involving speakers of English from the UK or the US. The paper concludes by reviewing some of the reasons why this holistic approach is desirable, namely: empirical findings, the parametric nature of speech, and a commitment to a mode of enquiry which takes seriously observable details of all kinds.