What is an example of a change in timing within and between words?

A change in timing within and between words is best illustrated by linguistic prosody. Prosody refers to the rhythm, stress, and intonation of speech, which includes how timing affects how meaning is conveyed. For example, variations in timing can indicate emphasis on certain words or phrases, altering the listener's perception of the message being communicated. This can also include the lengthening or shortening of pauses between words or the rate of speech, contributing to different interpretations of a statement.

In contrast, amplitude variation relates to changes in loudness, which affects the intensity of speech but does not directly pertain to timing. Pitch alteration refers to changes in the frequency of the voice, affecting the perceived highness or lowness but again does not inherently involve timing. Vowel lengthening focuses specifically on how long a vowel sound is sustained, which is a timing aspect within individual words but does not encompass the broader timing changes that occur between words in connected speech. Therefore, linguistic prosody is the most comprehensive choice that captures the essence of timing changes in speech.