inflects
Changes word forms
Inflects is the third-person singular of inflect, a verb describing how words change form to express grammatical features like tense, number, or case.
English inflects relatively little compared to languages like Latin or Russian—we add -s for plurals, -ed for past tense, and so on.
The verb "be" inflects irregularly: am, is, are, was, were.
In a different sense, to inflect one's voice is to vary its pitch or tone for emphasis or expression.
Verb form variation system
- declensionNoun form variation
- morphologyStudy of structural forms
- suffixWord-ending addition
- agreementShared position between parties
tense · case · mood · voice · aspect · number · person · gender
Vary pitch or intensity
- pitchFrequency of sound
- toneQuality of sound
- cadenceRhythmic pulse or pattern
- intonationPitch variation in speech
prosody · stress · accent · lilt · melody · rise · fall · contour
Make a modification
- modifyChange partially
- adjustChange to fit better
- varyTo show differences
- adaptModify for new conditions
bend · shift · transform · shape · curve · turn · deviate · flex
Pressure, mental or vocal
- accentuateTo give emphasis
- highlightMost notable part
- underscoreLow horizontal text mark
- punctuateAdd written pause markers
intensify · accent · weight · foreground · mark · strengthen · reinforce · sharpen
conjugation
Verb form variation system
- declensionNoun form variation
- morphologyStudy of structural forms
- suffixWord-ending addition
agreement · tense · case · mood · voice · aspect · number · person · gender · participle
modulate
Vary pitch or intensity
intonation · prosody · stress · accent · lilt · melody · rise · fall · contour · speech
alter
Make a modification
adapt · bend · shift · transform · shape · curve · turn · deviate · flex · twist
stress
Pressure, mental or vocal
- accentuateTo give emphasis
- highlightMost notable part
- underscoreLow horizontal text mark
punctuate · intensify · accent · weight · foreground · mark · strengthen · reinforce · sharpen · point
- inflection pointsWhere curvature changes sign
- inflectional endingsBound morphemes marking grammar
- voice inflectionPitch shifts while speaking
- vocal inflectionPitch variation in speech
inflection, inflect, inflected, uninflected, inflecting, inflections, inflectional