Intonation: meaning, definitions and examples

Used when referring to the rise and fall of the voice in speaking, especially to convey emotion or distinguish between questions and statements.

• Her intonation made it clear she was asking a question.
• You can tell he's excited because of the intonation in his voice.

Focuses on the emphasis placed on a particular syllable or word in speaking to convey meaning or importance.

• In the word 'record', the stress is on the first syllable as a noun but on the second syllable as a verb.
• She put stress on the word 'very' to highlight its importance.

Refers to a distinctive way of pronouncing a language, often associated with a particular country, region, or social class.

• She has a strong British accent.
• His French accent made him easy to recognize.

Used to describe a change in the pitch or tone of the voice, especially to express different meanings or emotions.

• There was a sweet inflection in her voice.
• His inflection indicated sarcasm.

Describes the rhythmic flow of a sequence of sounds or words, often used in poetry and music.

• The cadence of his speech was soothing.
• The poem has a musical cadence.

Used primarily in speech and singing to describe the rise and fall of voice pitch or the accuracy of pitch in music. Important in linguistic studies and musical performances.

• She has excellent intonation when she speaks
• The singer's intonation was perfect during the concert

Describes the highness or lowness of a sound in music and spoken language. Important in tuning instruments and vocal performance.

• The violinist adjusted the pitch of her instrument
• His voice has a very high pitch

Specifically refers to the process of adjusting the pitch of musical instruments so they are in the correct key and sound good together. Commonly used by musicians before performances.

• He spent several minutes tuning his guitar before the concert
• The piano needs tuning to sound its best

Refers to a sequence of musical notes that are perceived as a single entity. It's the part of the music that is most memorable and often the main theme of a song.

• The melody of that song is so catchy
• He whistled a cheerful melody as he walked

Relates to music and the combination of different musical notes played or sung simultaneously to produce a pleasing sound. Also used metaphorically to describe agreement or peace among people or ideas.

• The choir's harmony was beautiful
• The team worked in perfect harmony to complete the project

Used when referring to the rise and fall in pitch of the voice during speech to convey different meanings or emotions.

• Her intonation changed to show she was asking a question
• The speech's intonation made it sound very dramatic

Used to refer to the repeated way in which pitch rises and falls during speech, often characteristic of particular types of sentences or languages.

• English questions often have a rising intonation pattern at the end
• The intonation pattern of his speeches is very engaging

Used to describe habitual features of a person's speech, including rhythm, intonation, and pronunciation.

• His speech pattern includes long pauses between sentences
• The teacher's speech pattern makes the material easy to understand

Used to describe the particular way in which people from different regions or countries pronounce words.

• He has a British accent
• Her French accent is very strong