lilts
Bouncy vocal patterns
Lilts refers to cheerful, rhythmic qualities in speech or music—a light, bouncy cadence that rises and falls pleasantly.
Someone's voice lilts when it has a musical, swinging quality: She spoke with the lilts of her Irish upbringing.
The word captures those buoyant inflections that make certain accents or melodies feel lively and spirited.
Accent or sturdy shoe
- twangSharp vibrating sound
- inflectionWord form alteration
- drawlUnhurried, elongated speech pattern
- dialectRegional language variety
intonation · accent · cadence · singsong · burr · rhythm · pronunciation · Irish
brogue
Accent or sturdy shoe
- twangSharp vibrating sound
- inflectionWord form alteration
- drawlUnhurried, elongated speech pattern
dialect · intonation · accent · cadence · singsong · burr · rhythm · pronunciation · Irish · Scottish
melody
Pleasing sequence of notes
jig · reel · ballad · ditty · folk song · air · serenade · shanty · lullaby · carol
sway
Rock back and forth
hop · dance · prance · sashay · glide · float · bob · dip · rise · undulation