pitch meaning and part of speech

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What is pitch explained with examples.

Intonation and pitch are two of the most important elements in effective speaking. Spoken English too, like any other language, depends vastly on them. Having a good knowledge of that and an intuitional usage of these in communication would ensure the utmost fluency in the language and in turn, the listeners would understand you more easily.

Pitch is one of the very crucial elements of speech in any language. Without the right pitch and intonation , it becomes almost impossible to convey the intended messages on-point. In the English language precisely, if the right intonation and pitch range are not ensured, the meaning and manner of speech can not be pinpointed most of the time. That causes unnecessary misunderstandings and uncalled-for situations. Lack of the right pitch would always confuse both the speaker and the listener equally.

Definition of Pitch

Pitch is the vocal element that determines the accentuation and prominence of speech. It is similarly significant in the individual word or full sentence level. The normal pitch of any voice depends on the vocal cord at play and in what frequency it vibrates. The frequency of the vocal cord’s vibration is solely dependent on the length, thickness and tension.

Martha Pennington states in her book titled, Phonology In English Language Teaching: An International Approach that somebody’s average pitch level is determined by the size of the vocal cords. Men have longer vocal cords compared to women and children and so men’s vocal pitch tends to be lower or deeper in general.

Individual Pitch Range

Apart from having an average pitch or modal pitch, every individual has a set pitch range at their disposal. The pitch range can be achieved or altered by making adjustments to the strength of one’s vocal cord. With some exercises, musicians can make planned adjustments to their voices although most would just work on expanding their natural vocal range which involves extending the highest and lowest pitch they are able to sing at.

For effective speaking too, one has to practice similar adjustments to their vocal cords but at a bare minimum compared to the musicians, of course. To raise the pitch of one’s voice, the vocal cords or folds must tighten. Lowering the pitch would mean loosening the vocal cords for that matter. With the changing of the tension in the vocal cords, the pitch variations in speech are realized. When the right amount of variations are present, the speech becomes more meaningful and accurate to the listeners.

Pitch Explained with Examples

The vibration of the vocal cords is the basis of the change in pitch. The increase in the vibration of the vocal folds means that the pitch climbs with it. Normally, the pitch range of an average person remains inside the 70 Hz to 200 Hz mark.

In the case of everyday speech, the pitch range of the utterance denotes the attitude of the speaker towards the information or the listener in front. The neutral, unmarked, mid-pitch is the speaker’s modal pitch and it conveys the simple-neutral manner that the statement is delivered in.

• The high pitch range marks the informational contrast in the statements given as examples.

I’m going to Dha ka, not Chi ttagong!

He’d ne ver say tha t.

• The low pitch indicates that the speaker wants to emphasize the fact that two items in the successive tone units are somewhat similar in nature.

                        I’ve already shown you, man .

(The lowered pitch at the end entails that the “you” and the “man” are in fact the same person.)

How Does the Pitch Range Fluctuate in Statements?

Below are a few common statements and the pitch fluctuations in them. Getting at least these few categories of

List of Things:

The pitch raises with the opening of a statement, does not completely drop until all the intended information is unfolded. The pitch lowers where the information has stopped coming in right after a sudden rise.   

Yes/No Questions:

The vocal pitch tends to rise as much as uncertainty is imminent in the statement. With the Yes/No questions, the pitch will finally rise at the very end as the uncertainty and incompletion peaks.

Yes/No questions are usually half of the interaction that ends an incompletion. As the reply comes against the question, the information is complete. 

WH-Questions:

The WH-questions (questions starting with what, who, when, where, why, which and how) on the other hand, finish with a high but falling pitch although there is missing information in these statements.

Some of these rules are broken when it comes to non-native speakers barely mastering the pitch and intonation used in various situations. Sometimes they mistake finishing the WH-questions in raised pitch.

Tag Questions:

Tag questions can finish with a raised or falling pitch depending on what is asked and how.  

Questions Ending with “You Know”:

The common expression among the native English speaker, “you know” usually sits at the very end of the statement and the pitch here is raised or fallen depending on the manner of using the expression.  

Pseudo Yes/No Questions:

The statements are constructed with the same formula as the Yes/No questions yet they are not questions hence, not meant to be answered.       

Selecting the Right Pitch

One must keep in mind the kind of pitch and the pitch range to maintain before giving any particular speech. Selecting a suitable pitch and the pitch range depends on a few things.

The Audience

The most important fact to consider is whom your speech would be directed towards. A female speaker talking to a group of men about women’s equality would have a different pitch range than while talking to a group of enthusiastic women audience. Then again a male speaker in the same situation will have to adjust his pitch range in a slightly different manner.

So the type and mindset of the audience would be monumental for a speaker. S/he has to be able to read the room and adjust his/her tone and pitch accordingly before or during the speech.

The size of the room and the distance of the audience seating arrangements from the speaker would be the most significant elements to consider. The size of the room would come into play since there is a matter of the sound echoing inside the room is too big compared to the size of the crowd. The speaker may use a microphone but that would mean the position of the speakers set inside the room would come into consideration and their position and the distance from the sundance would have to be checked.

The natural volume of the speaker’s voice would be another crucial matter when it comes to adjusting the pitch range. The trick would be to practice speaking in any new setup beforehand so that the speaker can take mental notes of the required pitch and volume of his/her voice while speaking before an audience.

The time of the day the talk is scheduled would be another one of the biggest aspects to consider. There are certain parts in a day when most people are more attentive and active and other parts when they lose focus and are mostly inactive on average. So scheduling talks in the more active part of the day would be clever and then you can pitch your talk efficiently.

For example, the hour after lunch is known as the “Graveyard” session in training circles. Can you imagine yourself shouting at a graveyard? Similarly, you cannot let out high-pitched sneers at your sleepy crowd and expect them to participate in efficient listening just because of the sheer volume or the accurate pitch of your voice.

Depending on the length of your speech and how long it is till the end, you have to time your pitch to perfection. Like comic timing, the pitch must be timed to ensure the most effectiveness. One must time the segments in the talk and keep a clock guiding each minute. That way pitching the portions would be a matter of intent and emphasis. Too calculative a speech would lack in force.

What is Homophones? Types of Homophones

Different ways to say "in conclusion" with examples, what is intonation types of intonation in spoken english.

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Definition of pitch

 (Entry 1 of 4)

Definition of pitch  (Entry 2 of 4)

transitive verb

Definition of pitch  (Entry 3 of 4)

intransitive verb

Definition of pitch  (Entry 4 of 4)

Illustration of pitch

• two systems of staff notation of pitch

throw , cast , toss , fling , hurl , pitch , sling mean to cause to move swiftly through space by a propulsive movement or a propelling force.

throw is general and interchangeable with the other terms but may specifically imply a distinctive motion with bent arm.

cast usually implies lightness in the thing thrown and sometimes a scattering.

toss suggests a light or careless or aimless throwing and may imply an upward motion.

fling stresses a violent throwing.

hurl implies power as in throwing a massive weight.

pitch suggests throwing carefully at a target.

sling stresses either the use of whirling momentum in throwing or directness of aim.

Examples of pitch in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pitch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Middle English pich , from Old English pic , from Latin pic-, pix ; akin to Greek pissa pitch, Old Church Slavonic pĭcĭlŭ

Middle English pichen to thrust, drive, fix firmly, probably from Old English *piccan , from Vulgar Latin *piccare — more at pike

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing pitch

• absolute pitch
• as black / dark as pitch
• have / throw / pitch a tantrum
• fever pitch
• pitch - black
• pitch - dark
• sales pitch
• slow - pitch
• pitch a fit
• international pitch
• pitch a / the tent
• fast - pitch
• perfect pitch
• concert pitch
• pitch - perfect
• slo - pitch
• queer (someone's) pitch
• queer the pitch

Dictionary Entries Near pitch

pitch accent

Cite this Entry

“Pitch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pitch. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of pitch.

Kids Definition of pitch  (Entry 2 of 4)

Kids Definition of pitch  (Entry 3 of 4)

Kids Definition of pitch  (Entry 4 of 4)

Old English pic "a tarlike substance," from Latin pic-, pix (same meaning)

Middle English pichen "to thrust, drive, fix firmly"

Medical Definition

Medical definition of pitch.

 (Entry 1 of 2)

Medical Definition of pitch  (Entry 2 of 2)

More from Merriam-Webster on pitch

Nglish: Translation of pitch for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of pitch for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pitch

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Definition of pitch noun from the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

• throw to send something from your hand or hands through the air: Some kids were throwing rocks at the window. She threw the ball and he caught it.
• toss to throw something lightly or carelessly: She tossed her jacket onto the bed.
• hurl to throw something violently in a particular direction: Rioters hurled a brick through the car's windshield.
• fling to throw something somewhere with a lot of force, especially because you are angry or in a hurry: She flung the letter down onto the table.
• chuck ( informal ) to throw something carelessly: I chucked him the keys.
• lob ( informal ) to throw something so that it goes high through the air: She lobbed the ball over the net.
• pitch (in baseball) to throw the ball to the batter
• to throw/toss/hurl/fling/chuck/lob/pitch something at/to somebody/something
• to throw/toss/fling/chuck something aside/away
• to throw/toss/hurl/fling/chuck/lob/pitch a ball
• to throw/toss/hurl/fling/chuck rocks/a brick
• to throw/toss/hurl/fling something angrily
• to throw/toss something casually/carelessly

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Definition of 'pitch'

Image of pitch

Video: pronunciation of pitch

pitch in British English 1

Pitch in british english 2, pitch in american english 1, pitch in american english 2, examples of 'pitch' in a sentence pitch, more idioms containing pitch, cobuild collocations pitch, trends of pitch.

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• Pitcairn Island
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Module 8: Delivering Your Speech

Articulation, pitch, and rate, learning objectives.

• Identify techniques to use effective articulation.
• Identify effective rates of speaking.

Articulation

Once you’ve mastered controlling your breath as you speak, next let’s look at how you speak. If you have ever had someone ask you to repeat a word, you may suffer from poor diction.  Articulation , or diction , is what helps the listener not just hear the spoken word but also understand it.

Articulation is how clearly the speaker pronounces words. When some sounds are slurred together or dropped out of a word, the word may not be understood by the audience. To use proper articulation, a speaker must use their articulators : tongue, teeth, and lips. When a speaker uses improper diction, the hearer cannot make out the word spoken and often requests a repeat of what was said. In public speaking, a hearer cannot request a repeat and therefore poor articulation can make a listener tune out. It is important to say all parts of the word in order to speak clearly. This often requires slowing down your speaking pace , more on that topic to follow, and using your lips, teeth, and tongue to their full capacity.

Tongue twisters are a great way to force the speaker to slow down and pronounce each part of the word. Try saying, “Seven silly swans swam silently seaward” three times quickly. If that was easy for you, s’s may be your forte! Each individual speaker will struggle with certain sounds specific to them, or have developed a regionalism that makes them pronounce a word the way they’ve always heard it that doesn’t work in other parts of the country. A technique to making sure your speech isn’t affected by problem words is to note which sounds are struggles and circling the parts of the word on the speech outline. This serves as a reminder to take extra care when speaking that word out loud. Identifying these barriers to communication will improve the understanding of the audience and give polish to your speech.

In addition to speaking clearly, finding vocal variety in your speaking voice will help the audience stay awake. A voice that lacks variety can be described as monotone. In comedies, teachers are often portrayed as having a monotone voice, as in this famous scene in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off :

You can view the transcript for “Bueller Bueller Bueller” here (opens in new window) .

When the audience hears a monotone voice, they don’t stay engaged.

Much like a keyboard, your voice has many notes to it called pitches. Your voice can speak on higher notes and lower notes much like when someone sings. To explore the notes in your voice, try this exercise. Stand up on your toes and lift your hands in the air. Say ah at the highest point of your voice, which makes sound come out, and drop your wrists, elbows, and head over as you slide down to your lowest note. Reverse it and come back up trying to go higher and lower each time. Having discovered how much pitch variety you have to work with, you can now put arrows into your speech outline reminding you to raise the pitch or lower it on some words or phrases to be more effective.

Chicago rapper Twista can clock 280 words per minute or 598 syllables in 55 seconds (a Guinness record). Don’t try to do this in your speech.

Next to being loud enough, the most commonly identified speech problem is speaking too quickly. Raise your hand if you’ve ever been told you’re a fast talker. Controlling the rate at which one speaks is often one of the most challenging things a speaker has to do. When nerves kick in, it can be really hard to pull back on the speed that you’re talking at as sometimes you just want to finish and get out of the spotlight. Speaking too quickly can also make your audience tune out from listening to the speech. You’ve put all this time into the speech, so let’s make sure the audience hears it. According to The National Center for Voice and Speech, the average speaking rate for English speakers in the U.S. is around 150 words per minute. In a public speaking situation, you’ll want to speak slower than average, around 125–150 words per minute.

One of the ways to control your rate of speech is to make sure you are taking enough breaths. As we discussed before, if you lose control of your breathing, the rate of speech also gets out of control. One of the ways to make sure you breathe enough is to place a mark next to the word in a sentence on your outline to remind yourself to breathe there. A backwards slash (/) is a good signal to use. In order to see if the breaths selected work, read it out loud. If you find yourself gasping for air at the end of that sentence, there should be another breath added. Punctuations are the clues for where to breathe in a sentence too, so let those be your guide.

Recording yourself is one way to get a sense of how quickly you’re going. Play the recording back and listen to see if you can hear and understand every word. If not, write notes on your notecards that say SLOW DOWN or BREATHE to remind yourself to do so. Once you’ve mastered a controlled rate of speech, then you are able to play with speeding up and slowing down certain sections. Finding this variety of speed will further engage your audience. Think about telling the climax of a story. Sometimes you pause at certain moments to build suspense. That’s what you want to do in public speaking too. Sometimes you speed up to tell a story with momentum so the audience goes along for the ride too. Finding variety in your rate can be thrilling and the icing to a great speech.

To watch: Rébecca Kleinberger, “Why you don’t like the sound of your own voice”

In this talk, MIT voice expert and researcher Rébecca Kleinberger talks about the three voices humans have: the outward voice, the inward voice, and the inner voice. Kleinberger’s account here helps to explain why our own voice—which we hear all the time—sounds so unfamiliar to us when we hear it in a recording. It also speaks to the need to  practice listening to your voice in recordings.

You can view the transcript for “Why you don’t like the sound of your own voice | Rébecca Kleinberger” here (opens in new window) .

What to watch for:

Kleinberger’s speech is fascinating, and offers a great deal of insight into the way we perceive (or fail to perceive) our own voices. Interestingly, although she speaks at length about why we don’t recognize  our voice, Kleinberger doesn’t really answer the question of why we don’t  like  our voices. At the end of the speech, some listeners may still be wondering why they don’t like the voice they hear in recordings of themselves, and what they could do about it. This should serve as a reminder that if you have a catchy title with a question in it, you have to make sure you answer the question in your speech!

• Twista. Authored by : Adam Bielawski. Located at : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twista#/media/File:Twista_101109_photoby_Adam-Bielawski.jpg . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Bueller Bueller Bueller. Authored by : blc3211. Located at : https://youtu.be/f4zyjLyBp64 . License : Other . License Terms : Standard YouTube License
• Why you don't like the sound of your own voice | Rebecca Kleinberger. Provided by : TED. Located at : https://youtu.be/g3vSYbT1Aco . License : Other . License Terms : Standard YouTube License
• Articulation, Pitch, and Rate. Authored by : Misti Wills with Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution

English with Kim

The Power of Pitch: Change Your Tone for Better Stress and Intonation in English

Want to speak clearly and express your emotions and attitudes through your voice?

Then you need to learn to change your tone and use pitch variation for better stress and intonation in American English.

In short, you need to embrace the power of pitch.

The role of pitch in spoken english.

Before we get started, let’s talk about what we mean by the word “pitch.”

Pitch is the highness or lowness of your voice, and it’s incredibly essential in American English.

Have you thought about how you use pitch when speaking English?

If not, that might be one big reason why you don’t sound natural – yet!

We use pitch in order to express our emotions and attitude through a change in our intonation , or the tone of our voice .

We also use pitch in order to express stress , or when we make one syllable of a word l-o-n-g-e-r, LOUDER , and higher in pitch .

Extremely important: don’t forget this –  higher in pitch .

A lot of non-native speakers get the longer or the louder – or both – correct, but they struggle to hit that higher pitch .

Why is this?

Well, English has different pitch variation than other languages.

Some languages have more pitch variation than English, and others have less .

Why You Need to Control Your Pitch

To sound more natural in English, you need to be able to control your pitch. Here’s why:

Some people sound a little robotic when speaking because they don’t have a lot of pitch variation in their voice.

Their tone tends to be pretty flat and they sound a little bit mechanical, like a robot.

This is what we call a monotone voice : not expressive, not interesting, not clear.

Non-native English speakers may sound like they have flat pitch because pitch variation is not a big part of the sound of their native language .

Pitch is used for different purposes in each language – and unless you’re a singer, you probably produce pitch unconsciously .

In English, we use pitch variation throughout each and every sentence – both women and men.

(If you listen to native English speaking men, you’ll hear the same variation that you hear in my voice. For clear examples, listen to videos by male comedians like Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, and Stephen Colbert.)

If you’re not creating this pitch variation in your speech , the person who is listening to you might have trouble understanding you.

Native speakers are expecting to hear this pitch variation, especially on stressed words and stressed syllables .

Beyond speaking clearly, your pitch can influence people’s perceptions of you . Pitch is extremely important for clear communication!

How to Practice Your Pitch

So here’s what you’re going to do: start practicing pitch . No vocal coach needed.

I want you to start thinking about your pitch and how you can use it more effectively .

As we start to explore different stress in words , stress patterns in sentences , and intonation patterns , you’re going to create this pitch variation .

Let’s start with a quick exercise that I use with my clients to help them identify and practice their own personal pitch variations .

At first, changing your pitch and varying the sound of your voice might feel a little stressful, forced, or even challenging.

This is because you’re not used to doing it, especially if your native language doesn’t have that much pitch variation.

Be sure to practice pitch before or as you continue to go deeper into word stress and intonation.

You need to start including this pitch variation whenever you’re speaking .

If you’re having trouble with it, or you’re feeling like it’s not possible for you, you need to break out of that mindset and realize that you absolutely can practice your pitch variation .

Let’s get started – it will help to watch my explanation in the above video!

Pitch Practice Exercise

First, think about your baseline pitch .

This is the pitch that you have when your voice is resting .

Use a nonsense sound like “da” and repeat it at your baseline pitch.

Then go a step higher , and repeat the sound “da” one step above your baseline pitch .

Continue to go as high as you can, just to see the possibilities in your voice, and then come back down to your baseline pitch.

You don’t have to go as high as I show you in the video – you just want to be sure you identify a noticeable difference in pitch one and two steps above your baseline .

Next, try going one and two steps below your baseline pitch.

Familiarize yourself with the possibilities of pitch in your own voice .

It should feel natural, not forced .

Even just going one step above and one step below your baseline pitch will help you create a noticeable pitch variation that you can use in order to produce word stress.

Spend 3-5 minutes each day “stretching” your pitch , going a step up and a step down, so that you start noticing how consistently you can vary your pitch.

Controlling Your Pitch for Word Stress

Taking control of your pitch in this way will help make it easier to produce pitch variations when you’re speaking English and working on natural-sounding word stress and intonation .

For example, let’s look at the word “education”: ed-u- CA -tion.

The third syllable is stressed, which means the vowel is longer, louder, and higher in pitch.

You only need to go one step above your baseline pitch to produce noticeable word stress (together with making the syllable longer and louder ).

When you start emphasizing those pitch variations, other people can follow what it is you’re trying to say and they’re able to understand  which syllables and words you are stressing and emphasizing.

I hope this tip helped you understand why it’s so important to learn how to vary your pitch and how to control your pitch to sound more expressive in American English .

If you’re ready for even more practice, let’s explore your pitch with even more exercises and experiments!

Any questions? Leave a comment below and let me know how you did with the exercise.

5 thoughts on “The Power of Pitch: Change Your Tone for Better Stress and Intonation in English”

I had a stroke 3 weeks ago that left me speaking in a monotone voice. These videos have been extremely helpful for me in relearning intonation

I’m sorry to hear about your stroke, but I’m happy to hear that my videos have been helping you relearn intonation. There are more pitch exploration exercises here: https://englishwithkim.com/use-pitch-stress-intonation/

Thank you very much for sharing.

Quitevhelpful

Glad it helped!

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

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• Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Meaning of pitch in English

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pitch noun ( SPORTS FIELD )

• He was taken to hospital after his collapse on the pitch.
• He dribbled the ball to the edge of the pitch.
• At the end of the match , the pitch was a real quagmire .
• Unfortunately the game was cancelled because of a waterlogged pitch.
• The football pitch was absolutely sodden .
• 18-yard box
• backstretch
• ground staff
• off his/her line idiom
• out of bounds idiom

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

pitch noun ( LEVEL )

• bathymetric
• bathymetrically
• be running at something idiom
• knee-length
• metrication
• uncalibrated
• unmeasurable

pitch noun ( PERSUASION )

• ambulance-chasing
• argumentation
• be/go on at someone idiom
• jockey someone into something
• unpersuaded
• unpersuasive

pitch noun ( SLOPE )

• chimney pot
• chimney stack
• mansard roof

pitch noun ( BLACK SUBSTANCE )

• agglomerate
• prestressed
• unreinforced
• wattle and daub
• weatherboarding

pitch noun ( BASEBALL )

• 1-2-3 inning
• around the horn idiom
• hit the ball out of the park idiom
• hitting coach
• split-fingered fastball
• squeeze play
• starting pitcher

pitch noun ( TENT )

• boondocking
• camping ground
• groundcloth
• pop-up tent
• Primus stove

pitch verb ( MOVE )

• precipitate
• throw something in

pitch verb ( BASEBALL )

Pitch verb ( tent ), pitch verb ( level ).

• accompaniment
• beat something out
• pick someone/something out
• play ( something ) by ear idiom
• playability
• transposition
• ultra-smooth
• unperformable
• unperformed

pitch verb ( PERSUADE )

Pitch verb ( slope ).

• anteversion
• inclination
• lopsidedness

Phrasal verbs

Pitch | american dictionary, pitch verb ( throw ), pitch verb ( throw baseball ), pitch verb ( fall ), pitch verb ( raise ), phrasal verb, pitch noun ( sound quality ), pitch | business english, examples of pitch, collocations with pitch.

These are words often used in combination with pitch .

Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.

Translations of pitch

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2024 federal budget's key takeaways: Housing and carbon rebates, students and sin taxes

Budget sees nearly $53b in new spending over the next 5 years.

What's in the new federal budget?

Social sharing.

Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland today tabled a 400-page-plus budget her government is pitching as a balm for anxious millennials and Generation Z.

The budget proposes $52.9 billion in new spending over five years, including $8.5 billion in new spending for housing. To offset some of that new spending, Ottawa is pitching policy changes to bring in new revenue.

Here are some of the notable funding initiatives and legislative commitments in budget 2024.

Ottawa unloading unused offices to meet housing targets

One of the biggest pillars of the budget is its housing commitments. Before releasing the budget, the government laid out what it's calling Canada's Housing Plan — a pledge to "unlock" nearly 3.9 million homes by 2031.

The government says two million of those would be net new homes and it believes it can contribute to more than half of them. 

It plans to do that by:

• Converting underused federal offices into homes. The budget promises $1.1 billion over ten years to transform 50 per cent of the federal office portfolio into housing.
• Building homes on Canada Post properties. The government says the 1,700-plus Canada Post offices across the country can be used to build new homes while maintaining postal services. The federal government says it's assessing six Canada Post properties in Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia for development potential "as a start."
• Rethinking National Defence properties. The government is promising to look at redeveloping properties and buildings on National Defence lands for military and civilian use.
• Building apartments. Ottawa is pledging a $15 billion top-up to the Apartment Construction Loan Program, which says it will build 30,000 new homes across Canada.

Taxing vacant land?

As part of its push on housing, the federal government also says it's looking at vacant land that could be used to build homes.

It's not yet committing to new measures but the budget says the government will consider introducing a new tax on residentially zoned vacant land. 

• Freeland's new federal budget hikes taxes on the rich to cover billions in new spending
• Are you renting with no plans to buy? Here's what the federal budget has for you

The government said it plans to launch consultations on the measure later this year.

Help for students 

There's also something in the budget for students hunting for housing.

The government says it will update the formula used by the Canada Student Financial Assistance Program to calculate housing costs when determining financial need, to better reflect the cost of housing in the current climate.

The government estimates this could deliver more aid for rent to approximately 79,000 students each year, at an estimated cost of $154.6 million over five years.

• Updated Federal budget's funding boost for defence spread out over multiple years
• Liberals pledge $9B in new money for Indigenous communities in 2024 budget

The government is also promising to extend increased student grants and interest-free loans, at an estimated total cost of $1.1 billion this year.

Increase in taxes on capital gains

To help cover some of its multi-billion dollar commitments, the government is proposing a tax hike on capital gains — the profit individuals make when assets like stocks and second properties are sold.

The government is proposing an increase in the taxable portion of capital gains, up from the current 50 per cent to two thirds for annual capital gains over $250,000. 

New investment to lead 'housing revolution in Canada,' Freeland says

Freeland said the change would impact the wealthiest 0.1 per cent.

There's still some protection for small businesses. There's been a lifetime capital gains exemption which allows Canadians to exempt up to $1,016,836 in capital gains tax-free on the sale of small business shares and farming and fishing property. This June the tax-free limit will be increased to $1.25 million and will continue to be indexed to inflation thereafter, according to the budget.

The federal government estimates this could bring in more than $19 billion over five years, although some analysts are not convinced.

Disability benefit amounts to $200 per month 

Parliament last year passed the Canada Disability Benefit Act, which promised to send a direct benefit to low-income, working-age people with disabilities. 

Budget 2024 proposes funding of $6.1 billion over six years, beginning this fiscal year, and $1.4 billion per year ongoing, for a new Canada Disability Benefit.

Advocates had been hoping for something along the lines of $1,000 per month per person . They'll be disappointed.

According to the budget document, the maximum benefit will amount to $2,400 per year for low income individuals with disabilities between the ages of 18 and 64 — about $200 a month.

• Federal government plans to lease public lands for construction through new housing strategy
• Alberta premier says she's prepared to take Ottawa to court over housing deals

The government said it plans for the Canada Disability Benefit Act to come into force in June 2024 and for payments to start in July 2025.

Carbon rebate for small businesses coming 

The federal government has heard an earful from small business advocates who accuse it of reneging on a promise to return a portion of carbon pricing revenues to small businesses to mitigate the tax's economic costs.

• What's behind the carbon tax, and does it work?
• Federal government scales back carbon tax rebates for small businesses

The budget proposes to return fuel charge proceeds from 2019-20 through 2023-24 to an estimated 600,000 businesses with 499 or fewer employees through a new refundable tax credit.

The government said this would deliver $2.5 billion directly to Canada's small- and medium-sized businesses.

Darts and vape pods will cost more 

Pitching it as a measure to cut the number of people smoking and vaping, the Liberals are promising to raise revenues on tobacco and smoking products.

• Just Asking  wants to know:   What questions do you have about quitting smoking or vaping? Do you think sin taxes will encourage smoking cessation?  Fill out the details on  this form  and send us your questions ahead of our show on April 20.

Starting Wednesday, the total tobacco excise duty will be $5.49 per carton. The government estimates this could increase federal revenue by $1.36 billion over five years starting in 2024-25.

The budget also proposes to increase the vaping excise duty rates by 12 per cent effective July 1. That means an increase of 12 to 24 cents per pod, depending on where you live. 

• 'Stay the hell away from our kids': Health minister vows to restrict nicotine pouches — but how?

Ottawa hopes this increase in sin taxes will bring in $310 million over five years, starting in 2024-25.

More money for CBC 

Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge has mused about redefining the role of the public broadcaster before the next federal election . But before that happens, CBC/Radio-Canada is getting a top-up this year. 

The budget promises $42 million more in 2024-25 for CBC/Radio-Canada for "news and entertainment programming." CBC/Radio-Canada received about $1.3 billion in total federal funding last year.

The government says it's doing this to ensure that Canadians across the country, including rural, remote, Indigenous and minority language communities, have access to independent journalism and entertainment.

Last year, the CBC announced a financial shortfall, cut 141 employees and eliminated 205 vacant positions. In a statement issued Tuesday, CBC spokesperson Leon Mar said the new funding means the corporation can balance its budget "without significant additional reductions this year."

Boost for Canada's spy agency 

As the government takes heat over how it has handled the threat of foreign election interference, it's promising more money to bolster its spy service.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service is in line to receive $655.7 million over eight years, starting this fiscal year, to enhance its intelligence capabilities and its presence in Toronto.

• CSIS chief defends his spies' work after PM casts doubt on reliability of agency's reports
• Trudeau says it's his job to question CSIS intelligence, call out 'contradictions'

The budget also promises to guarantee up to $5 billion in loans for Indigenous communities to participate in natural resource development and energy projects in their territories.

These loans would be provided by financial institutions or other lenders and guaranteed by the federal government, meaning Indigenous borrowers who opt in could benefit from lower interest rates, the budget says. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Catharine Tunney is a reporter with CBC's Parliament Hill bureau, where she covers national security and the RCMP. She worked previously for CBC in Nova Scotia. You can reach her at [email protected]

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• April 19, 2024   •   30:42 The Supreme Court Takes Up Homelessness
• April 18, 2024   •   30:07 The Opening Days of Trump’s First Criminal Trial
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• April 15, 2024   •   24:07 Iran’s Unprecedented Attack on Israel
• April 14, 2024   •   46:17 The Sunday Read: ‘What I Saw Working at The National Enquirer During Donald Trump’s Rise’
• April 12, 2024   •   34:23 How One Family Lost $900,000 in a Timeshare Scam
• April 11, 2024   •   28:39 The Staggering Success of Trump’s Trial Delay Tactics
• April 10, 2024   •   22:49 Trump’s Abortion Dilemma
• April 9, 2024   •   30:48 How Tesla Planted the Seeds for Its Own Potential Downfall
• April 8, 2024   •   30:28 The Eclipse Chaser
• April 7, 2024 The Sunday Read: ‘What Deathbed Visions Teach Us About Living’

The Sunday Read: ‘What I Saw Working at The National Enquirer During Donald Trump’s Rise’

Inside the notorious “catch and kill” campaign that now stands at the heart of the former president’s legal trial..

By Lachlan Cartwright

Read by David Linski

Produced by Jack D’Isidoro and Aaron Esposito

Narration produced by Anna Diamond

Edited by John Woo

Original music by Aaron Esposito

Engineered by Corey Schreppel and Steven Szczesniak

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify

At the center of the criminal case against former President Donald Trump in Manhattan is the accusation that Trump took part in a scheme to turn The National Enquirer and its sister publications into an arm of his 2016 presidential campaign. The documents detailed three “hush money” payments made to a series of individuals to guarantee their silence about potentially damaging stories in the months before the election. Because this was done with the goal of helping his election chances, the case implied, these payments amounted to a form of illegal, undisclosed campaign spending. And because Trump created paperwork to make the payments seem like regular legal expenses, that amounted to a criminal effort at a coverup, argued Alvin Bragg, the district attorney of Manhattan. Trump has denied the charges against him.

For Lachlan Cartwright, reading the indictment was like stepping through the looking glass, because it described a three-year period in his own professional life, one that he has come to deeply regret. Now, as a former president faces a criminal trial for the first time in American history, Cartwright is forced to grapple with what really happened at The Enquirer in those years — and whether and how he can ever set things right.

There are a lot of ways to listen to ‘The Daily.’ Here’s how.

We want to hear from you. Tune in, and tell us what you think. Email us at [email protected] . Follow Michael Barbaro on X: @mikiebarb . And if you’re interested in advertising with The Daily, write to us at [email protected] .

Additional production for The Sunday Read was contributed by Isabella Anderson, Anna Diamond, Sarah Diamond, Elena Hecht, Emma Kehlbeck, Tanya Pérez, Frannie Carr Toth and Krish Seenivasan.

Corey Schreppel leads the technical team that supports all Times audio shows, including “The Daily,” “Hard Fork,” “The Run-Up,” and “Modern Love.” More about Corey Schreppel

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Politics latest: Nicola Sturgeon speaks after husband charged; Rishi Sunak accused of 'full-on assault on disabled people'

Nicola Sturgeon says the situation has been "incredibly difficult" after her husband Peter Murrell was charged by police; Rishi Sunak is criticised after promising "significant" welfare reforms. Listen to the latest episode of Electoral Dysfunction as you scroll.

Friday 19 April 2024 16:40, UK

• Sturgeon: 'Incredibly difficult' time after husband charged
• Yousaf speaks of shock in SNP
• Sunak sets out 'moral mission' to end UK's 'sick note culture'
• PM accused of 'full-on assault on disabled people' by charity
• Serena Barker-Singh: Is Sunak's diagnosis of welfare problems correct?
• PM refuses to say if suspended Tory should quit as MP
• Labour demands police probe into Mark Menzies
• 'We are going to get this done': Sunak vows to pass Rwanda bill
• Live reporting by Ben Bloch

Former first minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon has just spoken to Sky's Scotland correspondent Connor Gillies and the gathered media outside her Glasgow home.

It is the first time she has been seen in public since her husband, ex-SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, was charged in connection with the embezzlement of funds from the party

She said: "This is a difficult time. I don't think I'm revealing any secrets in saying that.

"But there's absolutely nothing I can say given the circumstances.

"So I'm now going to go out for a walk... There's nothing going to be happening here."

Asked by Connor Gillies how difficult this is for her personally, the MSP for Glasgow Southside replied: "It's incredibly difficult, but that's not the main issue here."

She said she can't and won't say any more due to the ongoing police investigation.

Conservative MP Mark Menzies has been suspended from the parliamentary party in light of allegations he abused local Tory party funds to pay off "bad people".

Mark Menzies strongly disputes the claims which also include accusations he used campaign funds to pay his personal medical bills.

On the Conservatives' investigation into the claims, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps told Sky News: "There's further information that the chief whip I understand became familiar with yesterday and actions being swiftly taken on the basis of that further information.

"I think it is important to stress that the MP in question here denies the allegations and so on basis of sort of fairness and proper justice, I think it's important to mention that."

On the Sky News Daily, Niall Paterson is joined by political correspondent Darren McCaffrey to analyse how Westminster will cope with another scandal.

Plus, the Scottish government has come under fire for rowing back on its climate commitments.

Niall speaks to science correspondent Thomas Moore about the consequences of the government missing eight out of 12 of its annual climate commitments.

👉 Listen above then tap here to follow the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts 👈

By Serena Barker-Singh , political correspondent

A former senior civil servant criticised some of the policymakers behind the illegal migration bill, accusing them of "harbouring racist views" about immigrants, it has emerged.

The senior policy official was in key ministerial meetings on the small boats policy, including in meetings with the then prime minister Boris Johnson.

Her claims emerged as part of an employment tribunal that has now concluded.

She says from her perspective the head of the illegal migration task force Michael Bourke and his deputy directors saw "the ultra-hostile environment towards unwanted foreigners as both being practical, necessary and gratifying".

In formal court documents seen by Sky News, the ex-head of policy in the illegal migration task force, who has been a civil servant for 12 years, said she had repeatedly tried to move conversations away from "prejudice and blame, to objective assessment and accountability".

Mr Bourke has stated his position is that his conduct towards the former civil servant was fair and during the time she was on the task force she was "negative and problematic, leading colleagues to feel disrespected, overburdened or undermined".

Read the full story here:

By Tim Baker , political reporter

Liz Truss's memoir broke the rules in place for ministers publishing works about their time in office.

The former prime minister's book, Ten Years To Save The West, came out earlier this week and tells of her time as the UK shortest-serving leader.

This includes how her government was run, and details of her conversation with the late Queen Elizabeth II.

While Ms Truss submitted the book to civil servants in the Cabinet Office for review, a final sign-off was not sought before publication.

A spokesperson for the Cabinet Office said: "This book was submitted to the Cabinet Office for review. While we would not publicise the details of any discussions, we did not agree to the final wording. So the author is in breach of the Radcliffe Rules."

Read more here:

Rishi Sunak today announced he wanted to tackle what he calls "sick note culture" which he says is costing the taxpayer £69bn and rising.

In effect, he said that if his party wins a general election and he is still the prime minister, he plans to strip GPs of their power to sign of people off work.

Instead, unspecified "specialist work and health professionals" would be given the job of issuing sick notes in England to combat what he called a "worrying" number of 2.8 million younger people who were out of work as of this year.

General election posturing aside, is the prime minister's diagnosis of the problem the right one?

From OBR figures, the number of sick notes have stayed relatively stagnant over the past four years - essentially flat with the exception of lockdowns - and that it's difficult to determine why sick notes are issued, for mental health or otherwise.

Where increases do arise are on the levels of worklessness generally. 

"Economic inactivity" is now higher than in the pandemic and the biggest driver behind this seems to be long-term ill health - people out of work for more than three years.

The director of the Institute for Employment Studies, Tony Wilson, says these figures suggest the problem isn't higher flows of people out of work, but rather lower flows into work.

He says sick notes are important, but not the whole picture as the priority shul be to help those already out of work.

One of the rationales behind the government's announcement was that Britain simply "can’t afford" the current levels of sickness benefit and that it was "not fair on taxpayers".

Mr Sunak made a point of stating that those who are anxious or depressed should be expected to work, saying that while "we should see it as a sign of progress that people can talk openly about mental health conditions in a way that only a few years ago would've been unthinkable", he was also concerned that 53% of people inactive due to long term sickness reported they had depression, bad nerves or anxiety.

But Louise Murphy from the Resolution Foundation says most PIP claims among young people do relate to "psychiatric disorders" but  these tend to be long term conditions such as ADHD and autism rather than anxiety and depression.

Critics have also pointed out something missing from the speech was NHS mental health capacity, after NHS bosses warned "overwhelmed" services had been unable to cope with a big post-COVID increase in people needing help.

As these plans are promised for the next parliament and a consultation will be the next steps, it is likely there will be more detail in the coming months from the government on how these plans can be legislated for.

By Adam Parsons , Europe correspondent, and Tim Baker , political reporter

Young people could be able to move more easily between the UK and Europe and stay longer to work, study and train under proposed plans by the European Union

Under the proposal, which has been put forward by the European Commission ,  new rules would be drawn up to allow for greater movement between the UK and EU countries for people aged between 18 and 30.

Formal negotiations have not yet begun, and a UK source told Sky News no formal proposal had been put forward by Brussels to begin negotiating on.

The proposal will be further discussed by the European Council, which represents all the nations, before negotiations start in earnest.

The plans proposed by the EU would allow young people to stay in Europe for periods of four years, with the same rules extended to EU citizens coming to Britain.

It would also mean EU students paying the same fees as British ones. Since Brexit, UK universities have charged much higher fees to European students.

Announcing the move, the European Commission said it wanted to take an "innovative" approach to tackling the barriers experienced by young people looking to travel from the EU to the UK and vice versa for longer periods.

By Beth Rigby , political editor

This is a tale that's more than just a marmalade dropper. It's a story so astounding you have to pick yourself up off the floor.

Mark Menzies MP last December allegedly made a 3.15am phone call to an elderly party volunteer asking for £5,000 as a matter of "life or death" because he had been locked up by "bad people".

To secure his release, the money was paid by his office manager from her personal account and reimbursed from funds raised from donors, according to The Times . The newspaper also alleges Mr Menzies received thousands of pounds from campaign funds into his personal bank account which were used for personal medical expenses.

I will say from the outset that these are claims Mr Menzies, the MP for the Lancashire seat of Fylde, "strongly disputes".

In a statement to The Times, he said: "I strongly dispute the allegations put to me. I have fully complied with all the rules for declarations. As there is an investigation ongoing I will not be commenting further."

But when the story broke, Conservative chief whip Simon Hart suspended Mr Menzies from the parliamentary party pending the outcome of an investigation.

It is a mega story. Not just because of the staggering, astounding, eye-popping - take your pick - nature of the allegations, but the questions it throws up: If this had happened over three months ago, why is it only now that the Conservative Party are suspending the whip? Was there misuse of money and what are the implications of that? Can Mr Menzies really continue as an MP?

Read Beth's full analysis below:

👉 Tap here to follow Electoral Dysfunction wherever you get your podcasts 👈

Email Beth, Jess, and Ruth at  [email protected] , post on X to @BethRigby, or send a WhatsApp voice note on 07934 200 444.

Labour is today revealing more details about its housing plans, should it form the next government.

Speaking to Sky News, the party's shadow housing secretary Matthew Pennycook accused the Tories of "presiding over an acute and intensifying housing crisis", saying there is "no aspect of that housing crisis that is not improved by building many more homes across the country".

He went on: "What we're announcing today is a strategic release of some greenbelt land in order to meet housing need across the country."

Despite the government's claim it is "protecting every inch" of the green belt, he said it is releasing land, but in "an inconsistent and haphazard manner".

"Labour is saying there's a smarter way to do this when we have to release greenbelt land to meet local housing targets, we can ensure we're releasing the right parts of the green belt," Mr Pennycook says.

"So low quality grey belt land in the green belt. Disused petrol stations. Abandoned car parks. 

"And when that is released, we can ensure through our golden rules that the development that takes place on it does meet local housing with high rates of affordable housing, first class infrastructure and amenities, and access to local green space."

He rejected suggestions of a potential backlash from environmental groups, saying the move is backed by Natural England, for example.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was out on a visit this morning visiting a housing development in the East Midlands.

He told broadcasters: "Having a secure roof over your head is one of the dreams of so many people across the country. 

"Because it's a base camp, if you like. For life, for security, for everything they want to achieve."

The site he visited was "derelict", he said, and is now being developed, and he said: "We want to see more of that."

By Jennifer Scott , political reporter

A Tory activist who reported an MP over claims he misused party funds has told Sky News she is disappointed by the way her complaint has been handled.

Mark Menzies voluntarily quit the Conservative parliamentary party this week after a report in The Times claimed he called his ex-campaign manager Katie Fieldhouse, 78, early one day to say he was locked in a flat by "bad people" and needed £5,000 as a matter of "life and death".

The sum, which rose to £6,500, was eventually paid by his office manager from her personal bank account and subsequently reimbursed from funds raised from donors in an account named Fylde Westminster Group, the newspaper said.

But despite the incident taking place in December - and Ms Fieldhouse submitting her complaint in January - the Fylde MP had remained part of the parliamentary party and as a trade envoy for the government until the press reports surfaced.

He has now lost the Conservative whip and was suspended as one of Rishi Sunak's envoys.

Mr Menzies strongly disputes the claims, which also include accusations he used campaign funds to pay his personal medical bills.

Speaking to Sky News' Frazer Maude, Ms Fieldhouse said: "I am feeling dreadful because I am a devout Tory and as I have said to everybody else, I reported his actions to the chief whip… it is now the middle of April.

"Come to your own conclusions [about] what is happening."

Read her full comments here:

People voting in local elections in England on 2 May will need to provide photo ID.

It is the second year the requirement has been in place - but in 2023,  14,000 people couldn't cast their ballot because they didn't take ID to the polling booth.

There are 22 different types of ID you can use - and if you don't have any of them, you can register for a Voter Authority Certificate.

Here's everything you need to know to avoid being caught out:

Former prime minister Boris Johnson has breached government rules by being "evasive" about his links to a hedge fund that set up a meeting between him and the president of Venezuela, a watchdog has said.

Mr Johnson raised a few eyebrows earlier this year after his spokesman confirmed he had flown to the country to meet its controversial leader Nicolas Maduro.

But now, the chairman of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) Lord Pickles, has highlighted further controversary around the meeting which was arranged by a company called Merlyn Advisors - a hedge fund.

Under government rules, any minister leaving office must run new jobs or appointments by the Acoba watchdog before taking them up.

But Lord Pickles said despite "repeatedly" being asked to "clarify his relationship" with the firm, Mr Johnson had "not done so", nor had he "denied the reports in the media that he had been working with Merlyn Advisors on a non-contractual basis".

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