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In inflection the voice slides up or down in pitch on a word, and by so doing impresses your meaning on the listener. Inflections are infinite in number; but a few of them practised will be of benefit in getting command over them. When the voice slides up, it is called rising inflection; if down, a falling. If it slides both ways on the same word, it is called circumflex; and if it varies but little, and is very like a chant in song, it is called monotone. A major inflection gives an effect of strength; a minor, of feebleness.

1. Major Falling Inflection.—A falling inflection is indicated by (`) over the accented syllable of an emphatic word. If you do not already know the difference between a rising and falling inflection, suppose I say to you, "The book is on the table," and you, not understanding what place I said, should ask, "Where?" and I answer, "On the table." Your question would be made with rising, and my answer with falling inflection. Use any vowel-sounds, and practise the falling inflection as you would hear it on the word "table," avoiding all motion of head, arms, or body, and making it with much energy of voice, as if expressing strong determination.

2. Major Rising Inflection.—This is indicated by a (´) over the emphatic word. Practise with any vowel-sounds the inflection as you would hear it on "where," as above, observing same directions as in major falling inflections.

3. Major Rising and Falling Inflections.—Practise rising followed by falling, as óh, òh, áh, àh, aẃe, aẁe, &c., using long and short vowels. Then falling followed by rising, as òh, óh, àh, áh, aẃe, aẁe, &c., using long and short vowels. Use these as if asking a simple unimportant question, and giving a like answer; then a question and answer of earnestness; then of surprise; then of great astonishment. In so doing, your voice will range higher and lower in inflection than you otherwise would make it. Do not let any of the inflections sound plaintive or feeble, but make them strong and decisive.

4. Minor Rising and Falling Inflections.—Use the same exercises as under major rising and falling, just mentioned; with this difference, that you make them so as to sound week, feeble, plaintive, or sad. They should be practised that you may become familiar with their sound, and have them at command, so as to use them when needed for expression, and avoid them when not.

5. Circumflex Inflection.—This inflection is indicated by a mark (v ᴧ) or (◡ ◠) because it is a combination of rising and falling inflection. The first is rising circumflex, because it ends with the rising; the second is falling circumflex, because it ends with falling inflection. It is used in expression of doubt, irony, sarcasm; as in "The Merchant of Venice," act 1, scene 3, Shylock says to Antonio, "Hath a dǒg mǒney? Is it possible a cur can lend three thousand dǔcats?" You will see, if read to express Shylock's irony and sarcasm, that the words would be inflected, as marked, with rising circumflex. Practise these circumflex inflections with vowels as directed under major rising and falling inflections. The falling circumflex being the reverse of the rising, when once you are familiar with the rising, can be easily made.

6. Monotone.—This comes as near to being one tone of voice as it can be, and at the same time keep its expressiveness as reading. It is not really, as its name might indicate, one tone, as that would be like chanting in singing; but it is variation of inflection within very small limit of range in pitch. It is best practised as song, however. Prolong, on a low pitch, any of the long vowels, about five seconds. The mark for monotone is (-) placed over a word.