Expiratory Accent

a term used as a synonym for the more accurate term “stress accent.” The term “expiratory accent” developed from the accentuation theory that was dominant in the early 20th century. The theory stated that the physiological mechanism of accentuation is an increase in the force of expiration. It is currently believed, however, that the main factor in producing accents in languages that do not have musical accent is an increase in the muscular tension of the speech organs. According to N. I. Zhinkin’s theory of speech formation, the degree of accentuation depends on the degree of glottal tension.