Definition

1. Noun:
   • The rise and fall of the voice in speaking: The way the pitch of a speaker's voice changes, which helps convey meaning, emotion, or grammatical structure (e.g., distinguishing a question from a statement).
   • The act of intoning or chanting: The act of speaking or singing in a monotonous or reciting tone.
   • Accuracy of pitch in playing or singing: In music, the correctness of the pitch of notes produced by a voice or instrument.

Usage and Examples

• Noun (Speech):
  • Her intonation made it clear she was asking a question, even without the word order.
  • The teacher's flat intonation made the lecture difficult to follow.
• Noun (Music/Chant):
  • The priest's intonation of the psalm was solemn and measured.
  • The violinist's perfect intonation was praised by the conductor.

Advanced Usage

• Intonation pattern: A recognizable contour of pitch changes associated with a specific linguistic function.
  • English has a characteristic rising intonation pattern for yes/no questions.
• Intonation contour: The overall melody or shape of a pitch movement across a phrase or sentence.

Variants and Related Words

• Intone (verb): To say or recite something with little variation in pitch.
  • The monk began to intone the prayer.
• Intonational (adjective): Relating to intonation.
  • The study focused on intonational differences between dialects.

Synonyms

• Inflection: Modulation of the voice.
• Cadence: The rhythmic rise and fall of the voice.
• Modulation: Variation in tone or pitch.

Related Phrases and Concepts

• Falling intonation: A pitch pattern that descends, often used in statements or commands.
  • He said "no" with a firm, falling intonation.
• Rising intonation: A pitch pattern that ascends, often used in questions or to express uncertainty.
  • She said "really?" with a rising intonation.

Noun

1. the production of musical tones (by voice or instrument); especially the exactitude of the pitch relations
2. the act of singing in a monotonous tone
3. singing by a soloist of the opening piece of plainsong
4. rise and fall of the voice pitch