prosody

[pros-uh-dee] /ˈprɒs ə di/
noun
1.
the science or study of poetic meters and versification.
2.
a particular or distinctive system of metrics and versification:
Milton's prosody.
3.
Linguistics. the stress and intonation patterns of an utterance.
Origin
1400-50; late Middle English < Latin prosōdia < Greek prosōidía tone or accent, modulation of voice, song sung to music, equivalent to prós toward + ōid(ḗ) ode + -ia -y3
Related forms
prosodic
[pruh-sod-ik] /prəˈsɒd ɪk/ (Show IPA), prosodical, adjective
Examples from the web for prosody
  • What remains constant is his cool, velvety use of traditional prosody and forms.
  • The prosody fits, they get you into the meat of the number.
  • Length of interval, and not accent, is therefore the determining element in prosody.
  • Fluent reading has three elements: accurate reading of connected text, at a conversational rate with appropriate prosody.
British Dictionary definitions for prosody

prosody

/ˈprɒsədɪ/
noun
1.
the study of poetic metre and of the art of versification, including rhyme, stanzaic forms, and the quantity and stress of syllables
2.
a system of versification
3.
the patterns of stress and intonation in a language
Derived Forms
prosodic (prəˈsɒdɪk) adjective
prosodist, noun
Word Origin
C15: from Latin prosōdia accent of a syllable, from Greek prosōidia song set to music, from pros towards + ōidē, from aoidē song; see ode
Word Origin and History for prosody
n.

late 15c., from Latin prosodia "accent of a syllable," from Greek prosoidia "song sung to music," also "accent, modulation," literally "a singing in addition to," from pros "to, forward, near" + oide "song, poem" (see ode). Related: Prosodiacal; prosodist.