Inflection is a bending or sliding of the voice either upward or downward.
The upward or rising inflection is an upward slide of the voice, and is
marked by the acute accent, thus, ('); as,
Did you call'? Is he sick'?
The downward or falling inflection is a downward slide of the voice, and
is marked by the grave accent, thus, ('); as,
Where is London'? Where have you been'?
Sometimes both the rising and falling inflections are given to the same
sound. Such sounds are designated by the circumflex, thus, (v) or thus,
(^). The former is called the rising circumflex; the latter, the falling
circumflex; as,
But nobody can bear the death of Clodius.
When several successive syllables are uttered without either the upward or
downward slide, they are said to be uttered in a monotone, which is marked
thus, (--); as,