intonation

Universal Words noun 1 [U,C] (phonetics) the rise and fall of the voice in speaking, especially as this affects the meaning of what is being said: intonation patterns * In English, some questions have a rising intonation. * Her voice was low with a faint regional intonation. compareSTRESS 2 [U] (music) the quality of playing or singing exactly in tune: The violin's intonation was poor.