What are "suprasegmentals" in phonetics?

Suprasegmentals in phonetics refer to features that extend beyond individual speech sounds (phonemes) and influence the structure and interpretation of speech. These properties include aspects such as stress, intonation, pitch, loudness, and duration. They play a crucial role in conveying meaning in speech, as they can affect the emotional tone of a message, indicate questions versus statements, and even distinguish between different meanings of words or sentences that are phonemically identical.

For instance, the placement of stress on different syllables can change the meaning of a word; in English, the difference between 'record' as a noun and 'record' as a verb is determined by stress placement. Similarly, intonational patterns might signal a change in meaning or indicate whether a speaker is asking a question or making a statement. All of these aspects illustrate how suprasegmentals significantly shape verbal communication, making option B the accurate choice in defining their role.