Spanish Conversation · Level 111
59 words
Spanish word
entonación
Pronunciation
IPA/entonaˈθjon/
Meaning
- feminine nountone
Example
Cuando hablas con niños, usa una entonación suave.
When you talk to children, use a gentle tone.
More examples
La entonación interrogativa suele subir al final de la frase.
The interrogative intonation usually rises at the end of the sentence.
Core concept
A continuous sentence-level pitch contour showing emphasis and speaker attitude.
Common phrases
entonación interrogativa
interrogative intonation
entonación ascendente
rising intonation
entonación suave
soft intonation
Similar words
tono: Establishes the general pitch tendency or vocal range a speaker habitually uses.
acento: Highlights a syllable within a word by making it noticeably louder or longer.
ritmo: Structures the tempo and beat pattern of speech to create a steady or varied rhythm.
inflexión: Introduces a short upward or downward pitch movement inside a sentence for nuance.
Definition in Spanish
La entonación es el patrón de subidas y bajadas de la voz en una oración que marca el tipo de enunciado, el énfasis y la actitud del hablante.
Word origin
From Latin intonatio via intonare 'to sound', the term denotes the sentence-level melody that marks statement type and the speaker's attitude.
Usage tips
- Entonación differs from acento: acento is syllable stress, while entonación is the pitch shape of the whole sentence.