What does intonated mean?
Intonated describes speech or a voice that has noticeable or deliberate variations in pitch, stress, and vocal tone. Such variations can signal emphasis, surprise, irony, doubt, warmth, or the difference between a statement and a question. The word is useful when discussing reading, presentation, conversation, or the expressive quality of a voice, because it identifies a specific feature of delivery rather than merely suggesting that someone is emotional or expressive. Intonated can also function as the past tense and past participle of intonate, as in “the speaker intonated the phrase sarcastically.” Its usage is generally neutral and formal, though it may sound analytical or technical in descriptions of speech and voice. In everyday conversation, people more often say expressive, emphatic, or modulated, but intonated more precisely draws attention to the musical and interpretive pattern of speech.
Characterized by intonation; marked by variation in pitch, stress, or vocal tone.
"The speaker’s intonated question conveyed doubt even though the words were neutral."
Common in discussions of speech, voice, reading, and performance; more precise than expressive when variation in pitch or tone is the central point.
Past tense and past participle of intonate: to utter or mark something with a particular intonation.
"She intonated the name with a mixture of affection and disbelief."
This form is often used when describing a deliberate interpretive choice in speaking or performing.
Intonation is the hidden punctuation of speech: it can turn a flat sentence into a question, a challenge, or a warm reassurance.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does intonated come from?
The word comes from English intonate, which was borrowed from Latin intōnāre, meaning “to sound” or “resound.” Latin intōnāre was formed with the prefix in- and tonus, “tone,” ultimately related to Greek tonos, meaning “pitch” or “tension.” The English adjective intonated developed within this family and originally referred to a voice or utterance marked by a particular pitch pattern.
Related word forms
How intonated is actually used
Intonated is especially common in formal descriptions of speech, voices, reading, and performance. It focuses more specifically on pitch and vocal modulation than broader words such as expressive. It is understood in both British and American English.
Easily confused with intonated
Intonated describes speech or a voice characterized by variation in pitch or tone, whereas accented refers primarily to a regional or social pronunciation influence.