Prosody refers to the patterns of rhythm, stress, and intonation in spoken language. Abnormal prosody refers to abnormalities in the patterns of rhythm, stress, or intonation of speech or vocalization that can be heard by the observer. In general, this refers to overt and clear deviations in patterns from culturally accepted norms but many also include differences noted in comparison to the usual patterns of the individual (a quiet person suddenly becomes loud or vice versa). [from
HPO]