Prosody is a word Dialog and ADR editors should make themselves familiar with. Wikipedia defines it as:

In linguistics, prosody (/ˈprɒsədi, ˈprɒz-/)[1][2] is the study of elements of speech that are not individual phonetic segments (vowels and consonants) but which are properties of syllables and larger units of speech, including linguistic functions such as intonation, stress, and rhythm. Such elements are known as suprasegmentals.[3]

Prosody reflects the nuanced emotional features of the speaker or of their utterances: their obvious or underlying emotional state, the form of utterance (statement, question, or command), the presence of irony or sarcasm, certain emphasis on words or morphemes, contrast, and focus. Prosody displays elements of language that are not encoded by grammar, punctuation or choice of vocabulary.

Prosody, in other words, is the property or properties of speech that create meaning and differentiation outside of the words themselves. It’s the metadata of speech. It’s about how we say something and not what we actually say. These are some of the attributes of prosody that effect our speech and it’s meaning:

Pitch, Loudness, Timbre, Frequency, Duration, Intensity and Spectral characteristics.

All of the above are attributes of speech that can be emphasized, de-emphasized or left neutral and they all impart meaning without text. Prosody communicates without a knowledge of its source.

Think about it...you know, even when someone is speaking a language you don’t understand, if they are angry, don’t you? You know by the Intensity, Loudness and Spectral characteristics of their voice. Up until AI, one could always tell a robotic voice (or a person who sounds robotic, or spiritless) from the lack of Pitch variation, lack of Intensity and Lack of timbre in their voices. You can even tell when someone is asking a question in another language because, in most languages, the last word or words of a phrase end with a Pitch rise, or lilt to indicate interrogatory speech (a question).

Actors and VO artists are masters of Prosody. It is through the manipulation of their voices, adding prosodic effects, that they create nuanced characters that speak to us in the way they speak and not necessarily with what they say. It’s why you and I can only think of one or two line-reads when looking at a script and a good actor, or improv comedian can deliver many...they are masters of the prosodic tools that give meta-meaning to a line through their masterful manipulation.

Why am I telling you this? Because by understanding these the meta-tags that make-up language you will be a better dialog coach or ADR advisor with mastery of them.

Why am I telling you this? Because by understanding the mechanics of language, you will become a more thorough and successful Creature Voice designer by mastering these meta-tags and using them to inform and influence your creations.

And finally, why am I telling this? Because through deepened awareness of the rigors of saying something, you will learn to modulate your own speech as well as interpret that of others when your communication is most critical.