A pleasing rhythmic rise and fall in a voice, tune, or movement.
Reach for it when drawing attention to buoyant musical rhythm rather than simply naming an accent
A gentle lilt in the guide's voice made the old story feel newly alive.
| playful | |
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| everyday | |
| warm |
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| professional | |
| formal | |
| literary |
playful
swing
Fits when propulsive rhythmic feel makes music move
Careful Swing names one rhythmic practice, so many lilting voices do not qualify.
everyday
rhythm
Fits when repeated timing gives the sound its shape
Careful Rhythm lacks the melodic rise and fall carried by lilt.
warm
Fits when a sequence of musical pitches is the central feature
Careful Melody belongs chiefly to music, while a lilt can color ordinary speech.
professional
cadence
Fits when the patterned flow and ending of speech matter
Careful Cadence can be solemn or measured and need not have a lilt's buoyancy.
professional
inflection
Fits when changes of pitch convey meaning or attitude
Careful Inflection describes individual pitch variation rather than an overall rhythmic quality.
formal
intonation
Fits when technical discussion concerns pitch patterns in speech
Careful Intonation is neutral enough to cover a flat or falling pattern.
literary
Fits when the overall pleasing, music-like quality is praised
Careful Musicality is much broader than one recognizable rise-and-fall pattern.
gentle lilt
A gentle lilt carried the singer through the quiet verse.
rhythmic lilt
The poem's rhythmic lilt made it easy for children to remember.
Irish lilt
An Irish lilt remained in her speech after decades abroad.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Vealhurl, Southern England accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated
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