Cadence is the rhythmic flow of a sequence of sounds or words, often reflecting speech pattern, tempo, and intonation. In music, it marks the end of a phrase or section. As a general term, cadence can describe both the pattern of beats and the characteristic pace of speaking or reading aloud, including emphasis and cadence-related phrasing.
"Her speech had a steady cadence that kept the audience engaged."
"The cadence of the poem guided the reader’s pauses and breathing."
"In the march, the drums set a firm, regular cadence."
"She spoke with a relaxed cadence, neither rushed nor dragging."
Cadence comes from the Old French cadence, from Latin cadentia, from cadere ‘to fall.’ The root cad- means to fall or descend, a semantic thread linking musical and spoken rhythm to the idea of falling or falling cadence in a measured, falling line or cadence of phrases. By the late Middle Ages, Italian and French musicians and poets borrowed cadence to describe the closing point of a musical phrase or a line of verse, and the word broadened to include the timing and flow of spoken language. In English, cadence migrated from literal falling motion to a figurative sense of rhythm and pattern in both speech and song. The concept evolved through the Renaissance with musical theory and later into oratory and rhetoric, where cadence became a critical feature of persuasive speaking and poetry. First known usage in English appears in the 15th-16th centuries, aligning with earlier Latin and vernacular adaptations, and by the 17th-18th centuries it was established as a general term for rhythmic flow in language and music.
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Words that rhyme with "Cadence"
-nce sounds
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Pronounce as /ˈkeɪ.dəns/. The primary stress is on the first syllable: KEI-dense. Start with /keɪ/ as in “cake,” then /dəns/ with a light, quick /d/ followed by a schwa /ə/ and ending with /ns/. You can reference audio in dictionaries or Pronounce to hear the subtle syllabic timing. IPA: US/UK/AU all share /ˈkeɪ.dəns/; ensure the /d/ is not a tapped or heavy stop, and the final /ns/ blends smoothly.
Two common mistakes: (1) Pronouncing /keɪ/ as /keɪə/ or elongating the first vowel too much, which slows the flow. (2) Producing a hard, explosive /d/ or an extra /t/ sound before the /ən/ by over-aspirating; instead keep a light, quick /d/ and a reduced schwa /ə/. Practice with minimal pairs focusing on the transition from /keɪ/ to /.dəns/. Use careful, relaxed mouth posture to avoid over-enunciating the final cluster.
In US English, /ˈkeɪ.dəns/ is rhotic and typically a crisp /d/ with a neutral /ə/ before /ns/. UK English tends to permit a slightly more rounded /ə/ and a crisper /d/ articulation, sometimes with a marginally longer vowel before /dən/; the rhythm is steady but can feel more formal. Australian speakers usually produce a clear, even cadence with a lighter /ə/ and a very smooth /ns/ ending, while maintaining the stress on the first syllable and overall even timing.
The challenge lies in the seamless transition between the high-front vowel /eɪ/ and the unstressed /də/ sequence, especially when speaking quickly. The /d/ should not become a stop-tap, and the /ə/ should be reduced rather than fully pronounced. Additionally, the final /ns/ cluster demands a light nasal release without adding extra vowel sound. Practicing the exact timing between syllables and avoiding overemphasis on the first syllable helps.
A Cadence nuance is whether you carry a slightly rising or falling intonation within the phrase. For a statement, aim for a level or slight falling tone after /dəns/, while for stylistic emphasis you can introduce a subtle rise on the vowel of the second syllable to mirror musical phrasing; always keep the primary stress on the first syllable /ˈkeɪ/. This reflects how cadence interacts with prosody in extended speech.
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