Intonation vs. Pitch — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on November 1, 2023
Intonation is the variation of spoken pitch that conveys meaning, while pitch is the perception of the frequency of a sound.
Difference Between Intonation and Pitch
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Intonation involves the rise and fall of voice pitch across phrases and sentences, conveying emotions, questions, or statements. Pitch refers to how high or low a sound is on a musical scale or frequency spectrum.
In language, intonation can change the meaning of a sentence, whereas pitch often refers to the specific frequency of a single note or sound. For example, a high pitch doesn't always imply a question, but a rising intonation might.
Intonation patterns are crucial for effective communication, as they add nuances and indicate attitudes or moods. Pitch, while important in intonation, also stands alone in music theory, referring to the exact placement of a sound.
Different languages have different intonation patterns, and these patterns help distinguish questions from statements or express politeness. Pitch in language may not carry the same level of semantic weight but is important for the melodic aspect of speech.
Intonation can indicate sarcasm, surprise, or certainty without changing the words of a sentence, relying on pitch variations over the course of the utterance. In contrast, pitch, when isolated, does not convey this information without the context of intonation.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Variation in pitch to convey meaning
Frequency of a sound
Role in Language
Changes sentence meaning, adds emotion
Contributes to intonation pattern
Role in Music
Provides speech melody
Specifies note frequency
Semantic Weight
Can alter meaning of phrases
Less semantic influence
Perception
Relational and context-dependent
Absolute, can be measured
Compare with Definitions
Intonation
Rise and fall in voice.
Intonation gave his question an urgent tone.
Pitch
Frequency of a note.
The singer's pitch was perfect.
Intonation
Differentiating meanings.
The intonation distinguished a statement from a question.
Pitch
Highness or lowness of sound.
She could hear the low pitch of the drums.
Intonation
The melody of speech.
Her intonation revealed her excitement.
Pitch
A sales presentation.
He made his pitch for the new product.
Intonation
The act of intoning or chanting.
Pitch
Angle of a surface.
The roof had a steep pitch.
Intonation
An intoned utterance.
Pitch
The quality of a sound governed by the rate of vibrations producing it; the degree of highness or lowness of a tone
Her voice rose steadily in pitch
Intonation
A manner of producing or uttering tones, especially with regard to accuracy of pitch.
Pitch
The steepness of a slope, especially of a roof.
Intonation
(Linguistics) The use of changing pitch to convey syntactic information
A questioning intonation.
Pitch
A level of the intensity of something, especially a high level
The media furore reached such a pitch that the company withdrew the product
Intonation
A use of pitch characteristic of a speaker or dialect
"He could hear authority, the old parish intonation coming back into his voice" (Graham Greene).
Pitch
An area of ground marked out or used for play in an outdoor team game
A football pitch
Intonation
(Music) The opening phrase of a plainsong composition sung as a solo part.
Pitch
A delivery of the ball by the pitcher.
Intonation
(linguistics) The rise and fall of the voice in speaking.
Pitch
A form of words used when trying to persuade someone to buy or accept something
He put over a very strong sales pitch
Intonation
Emotive stress used to increase the power of delivery in speech.
Pitch
A place where a street vendor or performer stations themselves or sets up a stall
The traders had already reserved their pitches
Intonation
A sound made by, or resembling that made by, a musical instrument.
Pitch
A swaying or oscillation of a ship, aircraft, or vehicle around a horizontal axis perpendicular to the direction of motion
The pitch and roll of the ship
Intonation
Singing or playing in good tune or otherwise.
Her intonation was false.
Pitch
The distance between successive corresponding points or lines, for example between the teeth of a cogwheel.
Intonation
Reciting in a musical prolonged tone; intonating or singing of the opening phrase of a plain-chant, psalm, or canticle by a single voice, as of a priest.
Pitch
A sticky resinous black or dark brown substance that is semi-liquid when hot and hardens when cold, obtained by distilling tar or turpentine and used for waterproofing.
Intonation
A thundering; thunder.
Pitch
Set (one's voice or a piece of music) at a particular pitch
You've pitched the melody very high
Intonation
The act of sounding the tones of the musical scale.
Pitch
Throw roughly or casually
He crumpled the page up and pitched it into the fireplace
Intonation
The manner of speaking, especially the placement of emphasis, the cadence, and the rise and fall of the pitch of the voice while speaking.
Pitch
Throw (the ball) for the batter to try to hit.
Intonation
Rise and fall of the voice pitch
Pitch
Make a bid to obtain a contract or other business
I've been pitching for this account for over a month
Intonation
Singing by a soloist of the opening piece of plainsong
Pitch
Set up and fix in position
We pitched camp for the night
Intonation
The act of singing in a monotonous tone
Pitch
(of a moving ship, aircraft, or vehicle) rock or oscillate around a lateral axis, so that the front moves up and down
The little steamer pressed on, pitching gently
Intonation
The production of musical tones (by voice or instrument); especially the exactitude of the pitch relations
Pitch
Cause (a roof) to slope downwards from the ridge
The roof was pitched at an angle of 75 degrees
Intonation
Expressing attitude.
Sarcastic intonation often contradicts the words spoken.
Pitch
Pave (a road) with stones
Another sort of stone is used for pitching streets
Intonation
Conveying emotions.
His intonation softened, conveying empathy.
Pitch
(in brewing) add yeast to (wort) to induce fermentation.
Pitch
Cover, coat, or smear with pitch.
Pitch
Any of various thick, dark, sticky substances obtained from the distillation residue of coal tar, wood tar, or petroleum and used for waterproofing, roofing, caulking, and paving.
Pitch
Any of various natural bitumens, such as mineral pitch or asphalt.
Pitch
A resin derived from the sap of various coniferous trees, as the pines.
Pitch
The act or an instance of pitching.
Pitch
A throw of the ball by the pitcher to the batter.
Pitch
A ball so thrown
Hit the pitch into left field.
Pitch
(Sports) A playing field. Also called wicket.
Pitch
(Nautical) The alternate dip and rise of a vessel's bow and stern.
Pitch
The alternate lift and descent of the nose and tail of an airplane.
Pitch
A steep slope.
Pitch
The degree of such a slope.
Pitch
(Sports) A single interval between ledges or anchors used as belaying points in mountaineering
A climb of six pitches.
Pitch
The angle of a roof.
Pitch
The highest point of a structure
The pitch of an arch.
Pitch
A level or degree, as of intensity
Worked at a feverish pitch.
Pitch
(Acoustics) The distinctive quality of a sound, dependent primarily on the frequency of the sound waves produced by its source.
Pitch
(Music) The relative position of a tone within a range of musical sounds, as determined by this quality.
Pitch
(Music) Any of various standards for this quality associating each tone with a particular frequency.
Pitch
The distance traveled by a machine screw in a single revolution.
Pitch
The distance between two corresponding points on adjacent screw threads or gear teeth.
Pitch
The distance between two corresponding points on a helix.
Pitch
The distance that a propeller would travel in an ideal medium during one complete revolution, measured parallel to the shaft of the propeller.
Pitch
A line of talk designed to persuade
"[his] pious pitch for ... austerity" (Boston Globe).
Pitch
An advertisement.
Pitch
Chiefly British The stand of a vendor or hawker.
Pitch
(Games) See seven-up.
Pitch
(Printing) The density of characters in a printed line, usually expressed as characters per inch.
Pitch
To smear or cover with pitch.
Pitch
To throw, usually with careful aim.
Pitch
To discard by throwing
Pitched my worn-out sneakers.
Pitch
To throw (the ball) from the mound to the batter.
Pitch
To play (a game or part of a game) as pitcher.
Pitch
To assign as pitcher
The manager decided to pitch a left-hander.
Pitch
To erect or establish; set up
Pitched a tent.
Pitch camp.
Pitch
To set firmly; implant; embed
Pitched stakes in the ground.
Pitch
To set at a specified downward slant
Pitched the roof at a steep angle.
Pitch
To set at a particular level, degree, or quality
Pitched her expectations too high.
Pitch
(Music) To set the pitch or key of.
Pitch
To adapt so as to be applicable; direct
Pitched his speech to the teenagers in the audience.
Pitch
(Informal) To attempt to promote or sell, often in a high-pressure manner
"showed up on local TV to pitch their views" (Business Week).
Pitch
(Sports) To hit (a golf ball) in a high arc with backspin so that it does not roll very far after striking the ground.
Pitch
To lead (a card), thus establishing the trump suit.
Pitch
To discard (a card other than a trump and different in suit from the card led).
Pitch
To throw or toss something, such as a ball, horseshoe, or bale.
Pitch
(Baseball) To play in the position of pitcher.
Pitch
To plunge headlong
He pitched over the railing.
Pitch
To stumble around; lurch.
Pitch
To buck, as a horse.
Pitch
(Nautical) To dip bow and stern alternately.
Pitch
To oscillate about a lateral axis so that the nose lifts or descends in relation to the tail. Used of an aircraft.
Pitch
To oscillate about a lateral axis that is both perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and horizontal to the earth. Used of a missile or spacecraft.
Pitch
To slope downward
The hill pitches steeply.
Pitch
To set up living quarters; encamp; settle.
Pitch
(Sports) To hit a golf ball in a high arc with backspin so that it does not roll very far after striking the ground.
Pitch
A sticky, gummy substance secreted by trees; sap.
It is hard to get this pitch off my hand.
Pitch
A dark, extremely viscous material remaining in still after distilling crude oil and tar.
They put pitch on the mast to protect it.
The barrel was sealed with pitch.
It was pitch black because there was no moon.
Pitch
(geology) Pitchstone.
Pitch
A throw; a toss; a cast, as of something from the hand.
A good pitch in quoits
Pitch
(baseball) The act of pitching a baseball.
The pitch was low and inside.
Pitch
The field on which cricket, soccer, rugby, gridiron or field hockey is played. cricket pitch.}} Not often used in the US or Canada, where "field" is the preferred word.
The teams met on the pitch.
Pitch
(rare) The field of battle.
Pitch
An effort to sell or promote something.
He gave me a sales pitch.
Pitch
The distance between evenly spaced objects, e.g. the teeth of a saw or gear, the turns of a screw thread, the centres of holes, or letters in a monospace font.
The pitch of pixels on the point scale is 72 pixels per inch.
The pitch of this saw is perfect for that type of wood.
A helical scan with a pitch of zero is equivalent to constant z-axis scanning.
Pitch
The angle at which an object sits.
The pitch of the roof or haystack
Pitch
The rotation angle about the transverse axis.
Pitch
The degree to which a vehicle, especially a ship or aircraft, rotates on such an axis, tilting its bow or nose up or down. Compare with roll, yaw, and heave.
The pitch of an aircraft
Pitch
(aviation) A measure of the angle of attack of a propeller.
The propeller blades' pitch went to 90° as the engine was feathered.
Pitch
An area in a market (or similar) allocated to a particular trader.
Pitch
(by extension) The place where a busker performs, a prostitute solicits clients, or an illegal gambling game etc. is set up before the public.
Pitch
An area on a campsite intended for occupation by a single tent, caravan or similar.
Pitch
A level or degree, or (by extension), a peak or highest degree.
Pitch
A point or peak; the extreme point of elevation or depression.
Pitch
The most thrust-out point of a headland or cape.
Pitch
Collectively, the outermost points of some part of the body, especially the shoulders or hips.
Pitch
The height a bird reaches in flight, especially a bird of prey preparing to swoop down on its prey.
Pitch
A person's or animal's height.
Pitch
Prominence; importance.
Pitch
(climbing) A section of a climb or rock face; specifically, the climbing distance between belays or stances.
Pitch
(caving) A vertical cave passage, only negotiable by using rope or ladders.
The entrance pitch requires 30 metres of rope.
Pitch
(cricket) That point of the ground on which the ball pitches or lights when bowled.
Pitch
A descent; a fall; a thrusting down.
Pitch
The point where a declivity begins; hence, the declivity itself; a descending slope; the degree or rate of descent or slope; slant.
A steep pitch in the road
The pitch of a roof
Pitch
(mining) The limit of ground set to a miner who receives a share of the ore taken out.
Pitch
The perceived frequency of a sound or note.
The pitch of middle "C" is familiar to many musicians.
Pitch
(music) The standard to which a group of musical instruments are tuned or in which a piece is performed, usually by reference to the frequency to which the musical note A above middle C is tuned.
Are we in baroque pitch for this one?
Pitch
(music) In an a cappella group, the singer responsible for singing a note for the other members to tune themselves by.
Bob, our pitch, let out a clear middle "C" and our conductor gave the signal to start.
Pitch
To cover or smear with pitch.
Pitch
To darken; to blacken; to obscure.
Pitch
(transitive) To throw.
He pitched the horseshoe.
Pitch
To throw (the ball) toward a batter at home plate.
The hurler pitched a curveball.
He pitched high and inside.
Pitch
To play baseball in the position of pitcher.
Bob pitches today.
Pitch
(transitive) To throw away; discard.
He pitched the candy wrapper.
Pitch
(transitive) To promote, advertise, or attempt to sell.
He pitched the idea for months with no takers.
Pitch
(transitive) To deliver in a certain tone or style, or with a certain audience in mind.
At which level should I pitch my presentation?
Pitch
(transitive) To assemble or erect (a tent).
Pitch the tent over there.
Pitch
(intransitive) To fix or place a tent or temporary habitation; to encamp.
Pitch
To move so that the front of an aircraft or boat goes alternatively up and down.
The typhoon pitched the deck of the ship.
The airplane pitched.
Pitch
To play a short, high, lofty shot that lands with backspin.
The only way to get on the green from here is to pitch the ball over the bunker.
Pitch
To bounce on the playing surface.
The ball pitched well short of the batsman.
Pitch
To settle and build up, without melting.
Pitch
To alight; to settle; to come to rest from flight.
Pitch
(with on or upon) To fix one's choice.
Pitch
(intransitive) To plunge or fall; especially, to fall forward; to decline or slope.
To pitch from a precipice
The field pitches toward the east.
Pitch
To set, face, or pave with rubble or undressed stones.
Pitch
To set or fix.
Pitch
To discard for some gain.
Pitch
To attack, or position or assemble for attack.
Pitch
(intransitive) To produce a note of a given pitch.
Pitch
(transitive) To fix or set the tone of.
Pitch
A thick, black, lustrous, and sticky substance obtained by boiling down tar. It is used in calking the seams of ships; also in coating rope, canvas, wood, ironwork, etc., to preserve them.
He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith.
Pitch
See Pitchstone.
Pitch
A throw; a toss; a cast, as of something from the hand; as, a good pitch in quoits.
Pitch
That point of the ground on which the ball pitches or lights when bowled.
Pitch
A point or peak; the extreme point or degree of elevation or depression; hence, a limit or bound.
Driven headlong from the pitch of heaven, downInto this deep.
Enterprises of great pitch and moment.
To lowest pitch of abject fortune.
He lived when learning was at its highest pitch.
The exact pitch, or limits, where temperance ends.
Pitch
Height; stature.
Pitch
A descent; a fall; a thrusting down.
Pitch
The point where a declivity begins; hence, the declivity itself; a descending slope; the degree or rate of descent or slope; slant; as, a steep pitch in the road; the pitch of a roof.
Pitch
The relative acuteness or gravity of a tone, determined by the number of vibrations which produce it; the place of any tone upon a scale of high and low.
Pitch
The limit of ground set to a miner who receives a share of the ore taken out.
Pitch
The distance from center to center of any two adjacent teeth of gearing, measured on the pitch line; - called also circular pitch.
Pitch
The distance between symmetrically arranged or corresponding parts of an armature, measured along a line, called the pitch line, drawn around its length. Sometimes half of this distance is called the pitch.
Pitch
To cover over or smear with pitch.
Pitch
Fig.: To darken; to blacken; to obscure.
The welkin pitched with sullen could.
Pitch
To throw, generally with a definite aim or purpose; to cast; to hurl; to toss; as, to pitch quoits; to pitch hay; to pitch a ball.
Pitch
To thrust or plant in the ground, as stakes or poles; hence, to fix firmly, as by means of poles; to establish; to arrange; as, to pitch a tent; to pitch a camp.
Pitch
To set, face, or pave with rubble or undressed stones, as an embankment or a roadway.
Pitch
To fix or set the tone of; as, to pitch a tune.
Pitch
To set or fix, as a price or value.
Pitch
To fix or place a tent or temporary habitation; to encamp.
Pitch
To light; to settle; to come to rest from flight.
The tree whereon they [the bees] pitch.
Pitch
To fix one's choise; - with on or upon.
Pitch upon the best course of life, and custom will render it the more easy.
Pitch
To plunge or fall; esp., to fall forward; to decline or slope; as, to pitch from a precipice; the vessel pitches in a heavy sea; the field pitches toward the east.
Pitch
The property of sound that varies with variation in the frequency of vibration
Pitch
(baseball) the throwing of a baseball by a pitcher to a batter
Pitch
A vendor's position (especially on the sidewalk);
He was employed to see that his paper's news pitches were not trespassed upon by rival vendors
Pitch
Promotion by means of an argument and demonstration
Pitch
Degree of deviation from a horizontal plane;
The roof had a steep pitch
Pitch
Any of various dark heavy viscid substances obtained as a residue
Pitch
A high approach shot in golf
Pitch
An all-fours game in which the first card led is a trump
Pitch
Abrupt up-and-down motion (as caused by a ship or other conveyance);
The pitching and tossing was quite exciting
Pitch
The action or manner of throwing something;
His pitch fell short and his hat landed on the floor
Pitch
Throw or toss with a light motion;
Flip me the beachball
Toss me newspaper
Pitch
Move abruptly;
The ship suddenly lurched to the left
Pitch
Fall or plunge forward;
She pitched over the railing of the balcony
Pitch
Set to a certain pitch;
He pitched his voice very low
Pitch
Sell or offer for sale from place to place
Pitch
Be at an angle;
The terrain sloped down
Pitch
Heel over;
The tower is tilting
The ceiling is slanting
Pitch
Erect and fasten;
Pitch a tent
Pitch
Throw or hurl from the mound to the batter, as in baseball;
The pitcher delivered the ball
Pitch
Hit (a golf ball) in a high arc with a backspin
Pitch
Lead (a card) and establish the trump suit
Pitch
Set the level or character of;
She pitched her speech to the teenagers in the audience
Pitch
Throwing a baseball.
The pitcher's pitch was fast and accurate.
Common Curiosities
What is intonation?
Intonation is the use of varying pitch in speech to express different meanings or emotions.
Can intonation change a sentence's meaning?
Yes, intonation can change the meaning of a sentence without altering the words.
Do all languages use intonation?
Yes, all languages use intonation, but the patterns vary widely.
How is intonation taught?
Intonation is taught through listening and practice, often with speech drills.
What does pitch refer to?
Pitch refers to the perceived frequency of a sound, determining how high or low it is.
Is pitch the same as volume?
No, pitch is the frequency of a sound, while volume is the loudness.
How does intonation affect language?
Intonation affects the meaning and emotion behind words in spoken language.
Does pitch affect perception of music?
Yes, pitch is fundamental to the melody and harmony in music.
Can pitch vary in a single syllable?
Yes, pitch can vary even within a single syllable, especially in tonal languages.
Can pitch alone convey emotions?
Alone, pitch cannot convey emotions without the context of speech.
What is the role of pitch in music?
In music, pitch precisely identifies the frequency of a musical note.
Is perfect pitch related to intonation?
Perfect pitch is the ability to recognize notes, not directly related to speech intonation.
Can someone's intonation change?
Yes, a person's intonation can change with emotion, context, or by learning.
Why is intonation important?
Intonation is crucial for conveying nuances and emotional subtleties in communication.
How do you measure pitch?
Pitch can be measured in Hertz (Hz), the unit of frequency.
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Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
