What is the term for the musical pattern of speech?

What is the term for the musical pattern of speech?

• A. Intonation
• B. Stress
• C. Rhythm
• D. Tempo

Answer: (A)

Intonation is the melodic contour of speech—the rise and fall of voice pitch that shapes meaning beyond the words themselves. It signals whether a sentence is a question or a statement, conveys emotion, and can indicate attitude or emphasis. For example, a rising pitch at the end of a sentence often signals a question, while a falling pitch tends to mark a declarative statement.

Stress, by contrast, focuses on which syllables or words are given extra emphasis, changing emphasis or meaning within words. Rhythm refers to the pattern of timing and stresses that give speech its cadence. Tempo is about how fast the speech is delivered. So the musical pattern of speech—the pitch-related aspect that provides its melodic quality—is intonation.