What term encompasses the natural aspects of language such as intonation and stress?

The term that encompasses the natural aspects of language, including intonation and stress, is suprasegmentals. Suprasegmentals are features of speech that extend beyond individual phonetic segments (like consonants and vowels) and encompass elements that affect larger units of sound. Intonation refers to the rise and fall of pitch in spoken language, which can convey different meanings or emotions. Stress involves the emphasis placed on certain syllables or words within speech, which can also alter meaning and provide cues about the speaker's intent or the structure of the sentence.

In the context of language disorders or therapy, understanding suprasegmentals is crucial because they play a significant role in effective communication. Clinicians focus on these aspects during assessment and intervention to help individuals develop clearer and more nuanced speech patterns.

The other terms relate to different aspects of language: phonetics refers to the study of the sounds themselves, articulation relates to how those sounds are produced, and lexicon refers to the vocabulary of a language. However, none of these encompass the broader features of intonation and stress as effectively as suprasegmentals do.