For Day 10 of 30 Days of Intonation, we're talking about an exclamation whose intonation almost entirely determines its meaning:

No way!

I decided to create this program especially to help you understand rejoinders and exclamations like "No way," short expressions that are hard to understand and use without considering the sound of your voice.

When you're learning a language, it's tempting to collect interesting, useful expressions commonly used by native speakers.

But it's important to pay attention to the context - because the right expression in the wrong situation can get you into trouble!

"No way" is a perfect example - it can be used to express disbelief and doubt, excitement and interest, or sympathy and concern. With flat intonation, it simply expresses an authoritative "no."

If someone tells you a story of a tragedy, and you respond saying "no way" with doubtful pitch instead of sympathetic intonation, you will sound rude, rather than concerned!

I don't want you to make that mistake, which is why I'm showing you the difference!

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