Pronunciation GB: baɪˈtəʊnl, GA: baɪˈtoʊnl
An intonational accent consisting of two tones in sequence. The concept is particularly associated with the analysis of intonation proposed by Pierrehumbert. The bitonal accents proposed are H*+L, H+L*, L*+H and L+H*. The starred tone is associated directly with the accented syllable and the non-starred tone (a leading or trailing tone) specifies the transition from preceding or to following syllables.
Pierrehumbert J. (1980) The phonology and phonetics of English intonation. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.