noun
intonations characteristic of questions and requests and statements
• Hypernyms: ↑intonation, ↑modulation, ↑pitch contour
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noun : a unit of speech melody in a language or dialect that contributes to the total meaning of an utterance
one's intonation pattern in the utterance of dead may reveal one's emotional reaction to an announcement of death
one intonation pattern makes leave a command, another makes it a question
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intonation pattern or intonation contour,
Linguistics. a distinctive speech pattern formed by differences in pitch, as for example the rising intonation pattern in questions (Is he going?) and the falling intonation pattern in declarative statements (Yes, he is going).
Useful english dictionary. 2012.