Inflection: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Inflection noun. A rise or fall in the pitch of the voice when speaking.
How to say it
in-FLEK-shun/ɪnˈflɛkʃ(ə)n/
3 syllables, stressed on the second (FLEK).
Meanings
- A rise or fall in the pitch of the voice when speaking.
- A change in a word's ending to show tense, number or case, as in walk and walked.
Inflection in a sentence
Her rising inflection made every statement sound like a question.
Without a single change of inflection, he announced that he was quitting.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- intonation
- tone
- modulation
- cadence
Where inflection comes from
From Latin inflectere, to bend.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
Without a single change of _____, he announced that he was quitting.
- flapdoodle
- glossolalia
- inflection
Show the answer
inflection: Without a single change of inflection, he announced that he was quitting.