Uptalk: Rising Intonation

Uptalk (also called "high rising terminal") is when a speaker ends a statement with rising intonation, making it sound like a question. This is strongly associated with Californian English.

Example:

• GenAm: "I went to the store." ↘ (falling)
• Californian: "I went to the store?" ↗ (rising, but it's still a statement)

Uptalk serves social functions: it checks if the listener is following, keeps the conversation going, and can make the speaker sound more approachable.

Important: Uptalk is not uncertainty — it's a pragmatic tool.