YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME

cadence

Noun

IPA /ˈkeɪdns/

Understand it. Say it. Use it.

UNDERSTAND THE WORD

Meaning in plain English

The rhythmic pattern of a voice as it rises, falls and pauses.

SAY IT ALOUD

Pronunciation

cadence/ˈkeɪdns/

PICTURE THE IDEA

See the meaning

Follow the idea

A voice rises
The voice falls and pauses
A recognisable speaking rhythm

Cadence is the rise, fall and rhythm of a voice or a sequence of sounds.

SEE IT IN EVERYDAY ENGLISH

Examples in context

Read the examples aloud. Notice how the word fits the sentence, then think of a situation of your own.

I recognised my grandmother's gentle cadence even before I saw her.
The drama tutor asked us to listen to the cadence of the speech.

MAKE IT STICK

Quick word quiz

Try the question without looking back, then write a sentence of your own. You can retry as often as you like.

Can you recall the word?

Complete the example using the word from this lesson.

I recognised my grandmother's gentle ________ even before I saw her.

Show the answer

cadence — The rhythmic pattern of a voice as it rises, falls and pauses.

Try your own sentence (optional)

Make it yours

Write one sentence using “cadence” about your own life.

Your sentence (optional)

Check your sentence

Does your sentence match this meaning?

The rhythmic pattern of a voice as it rises, falls and pauses.

Compare: I recognised my grandmother's gentle cadence even before I saw her.

Check the spelling and how the word fits the sentence. Your example can be different.

Self-review only. Your sentence is not automatically marked, saved or submitted.

This quiz is for practice. To save lesson completion on this device, complete the checks in the app.

Word origin

Ultimately from Latin cadere, meaning to fall, through Italian and French.

Did you know?

The cadence of a voice describes its pattern, rather than the meaning of its words.

Explore related words

Open a word’s lesson when available, or explore entries that use the related term.

Make the word your own

Say the word aloud and read an example sentence.
Write a new sentence about something familiar to you.
Cover the meaning and try explaining the word in your own words.

Continue with the app’s practice check, then try a sentence of your own to mark this word complete.

Practise this word in the app

Completion and saved words stay in this browser on this device.