Cadence vs. Rhythm: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
Cadence refers to the flow or sequence of events, particularly focusing on the conclusion or resolution in music or speech. Rhythm, on the other hand, describes a repeated pattern of movement or sound, commonly found in music, poetry, or dance.
Key Differences
Cadence in music refers to the sequence of notes or chords comprising the end of a phrase, providing resolution. Rhythm, however, is the timing of musical sounds and silences, creating a pattern in the flow of the music.
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Nov 10, 2023
In speech, cadence is the modulation or inflection of the voice, influencing how speech concludes or resolves. Rhythm in speech pertains to the pattern or flow of words and phrases, often influenced by stress and timing.
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Nov 10, 2023
Cadence can also describe the tempo or pace of an event, like the cadence of a march. Rhythm is more about the consistent, repeated pattern within that pace, like the rhythmic drumming accompanying the march.
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Nov 10, 2023
In writing, cadence is the way a sentence flows toward its ending, affecting its overall feel. Rhythm in writing involves the patterned flow of text, influenced by syllable stress, length, and sound.
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Nov 10, 2023
Cadence often carries a connotation of finality or resolution, such as the cadence at the end of a musical piece. Rhythm is about ongoing patterns and regularity, like the rhythm of a dance or a poem.
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Nov 10, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Sequence or flow towards a conclusion
Repeated pattern of movement or sound
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Usage in Speech
Modulation and inflection of voice
Pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables
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Overall Connotation
Suggests finality or resolution
Suggests ongoing pattern and regularity
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Cadence and Rhythm Definitions
Cadence
The flow of rhythm in a sequence of sounds.
The cadence of her speech captivated the audience.
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Nov 10, 2023
Rhythm
A strong, regular repeated pattern of movement or sound.
The rhythm of the drums energized the crowd.
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Nov 10, 2023
Rhythm
The flow of words and phrases in speech or writing.
Her writing had a rhythm that was easy to follow.
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Nov 10, 2023
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Rhythm
Movement or variation characterized by the regular recurrence or alternation of different quantities or conditions
The rhythm of the tides.
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Oct 19, 2023
Cadence
A rhythmic chant, often in call-and-response form, used by soldiers to keep in step when marching or running.
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Oct 19, 2023
Rhythm
The patterned, recurring alternations of contrasting elements of sound or speech.
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Oct 19, 2023
Rhythm
The patterning of musical sound, as by differences in the timing, duration, or stress of consecutive notes.
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Oct 19, 2023
Cadence
(Music) A progression of chords moving to a harmonic close, point of rest, or sense of resolution.
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Oct 19, 2023
Rhythm
The pattern or flow of sound created by the arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables in accentual verse or of long and short syllables in quantitative verse.
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Oct 19, 2023
Cadence
The general inflection or modulation of the voice, or of any sound.
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Oct 19, 2023
Rhythm
The sense of temporal development created in a work of literature or a film by the arrangement of formal elements such as the length of scenes, the nature and amount of dialogue, or the repetition of motifs.
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Oct 19, 2023
Cadence
(music) A progression of at least two chords which conclude a piece of music, section or musical phrases within it. Sometimes referred to analogously as musical punctuation.
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Oct 19, 2023
Rhythm
A regular or harmonious pattern created by lines, forms, and colors in painting, sculpture, and other visual arts.
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Oct 19, 2023
Cadence
(music) A cadenza, or closing embellishment; a pause before the end of a strain, which the performer may fill with a flight of fancy.
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Oct 19, 2023
Rhythm
The pattern of development produced in a literary or dramatic work by repetition of elements such as words, phrases, incidents, themes, images, and symbols.
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Oct 19, 2023
Cadence
(speech) A fall in inflection of a speaker’s voice, such as at the end of a sentence.
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Oct 19, 2023
Rhythm
Procedure or routine characterized by regularly recurring elements, activities, or factors
The rhythm of civilization.
The rhythm of the lengthy negotiations.
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Oct 19, 2023
Cadence
(dance) A dance move which ends a phrase.
The cadence in a galliard step refers to the final leap in a cinquepace sequence.
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Oct 19, 2023
Rhythm
The variation of strong and weak elements (such as duration, accent) of sounds, notably in speech or music, over time; a beat or meter.
Dance to the rhythm of the music.
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Oct 19, 2023
Rhythm
A specifically defined pattern of such variation.
Most dances have a rhythm as distinctive as the Iambic verse in poetry
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Oct 19, 2023
Rhythm
A flow, repetition or regularity.
Once you get the rhythm of it, the job will become easy.
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Oct 19, 2023
Cadence
(cycling) The number of revolutions per minute of the cranks or pedals of a bicycle.
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Oct 19, 2023
Rhythm
The tempo or speed of a beat, song or repetitive event.
We walked with a quick, even rhythm.
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Oct 19, 2023
Cadence
(military) A chant that is sung by military personnel while running or marching; a jody call.
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Oct 19, 2023
Rhythm
The musical instruments which provide rhythm (mainly; not or less melody) in a musical ensemble.
The Baroque term basso continuo is virtually equivalent to rhythm
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Oct 19, 2023
Rhythm
A regular quantitative change in a variable (notably natural) process.
The rhythm of the seasons dominates agriculture as well as wildlife
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Oct 19, 2023
Cadence
(horse-riding) Harmony and proportion of movement, as in a well-managed horse.
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Oct 19, 2023
Rhythm
Controlled repetition of a phrase, incident or other element as a stylistic figure in literature and other narrative arts; the effect it creates.
The running gag is a popular rhythm in motion pictures and theater comedy
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Oct 19, 2023
Cadence
(horseracing) The number of strides per second of a racehorse, measured when the same foot/hoof strikes the ground
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Oct 19, 2023
Rhythm
A person's natural feeling for rhythm.
That girl's got rhythm, watch her dance!
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Oct 19, 2023
Rhythm
In the widest sense, a dividing into short portions by a regular succession of motions, impulses, sounds, accents, etc., producing an agreeable effect, as in music poetry, the dance, or the like.
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Oct 19, 2023
Rhythm
Movement in musical time, with periodical recurrence of accent; the measured beat or pulse which marks the character and expression of the music; symmetry of movement and accent.
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Oct 19, 2023
Rhythm
A division of lines into short portions by a regular succession of arses and theses, or percussions and remissions of voice on words or syllables.
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Oct 19, 2023
Cadence
The act or state of declining or sinking.
Now was the sun in western cadence low.
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Oct 19, 2023
Cadence
A fall of the voice in reading or speaking, especially at the end of a sentence.
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Oct 19, 2023
Rhythm
The basic rhythmic unit in a piece of music;
The piece has a fast rhythm
The conductor set the beat
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Cadence
A rhythmical modulation of the voice or of any sound; as, music of bells in cadence sweet.
Blustering winds, which all night longHad roused the sea, now with hoarse cadence lullSeafaring men o'erwatched.
The accents . . . were in passion's tenderest cadence.
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Oct 19, 2023
Cadence
Rhythmical flow of language, in prose or verse.
Golden cadence of poesy.
If in any composition much attention was paid to the flow of the rhythm, it was said (at least in the 14th and 15th centuries) to be "prosed in faire cadence."
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Oct 19, 2023
Rhythm
An interval during which a recurring sequence of events occurs;
The neverending cycle of the seasons
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Rhythm
The arrangement of spoken words alternating stressed and unstressed elements;
The rhythm of Frost's poetry
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Oct 19, 2023
Rhythm
Natural family planning in which ovulation is assumed to occur 14 days before the onset of a period (the fertile period would be assumed to extend from day 10 through day 18 of her cycle)
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Oct 19, 2023
Rhythm
The systematic arrangement of musical sounds.
The rhythm of the song was both complex and catchy.
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Nov 10, 2023
Cadence
The close or fall of a strain; the point of rest, commonly reached by the immediate succession of the tonic to the dominant chord.
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Oct 19, 2023
Rhythm
A repeated pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables.
The poem's rhythm gave it a melodic quality.
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Nov 10, 2023
Cadence
To regulate by musical measure.
These parting numbers, cadenced by my grief.
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Oct 19, 2023
Rhythm
The pacing or timing in any regular activity.
He found a rhythm in his work that made him more productive.
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Nov 10, 2023
Cadence
The concluding part of a dance or musical phrase.
The song's cadence left a feeling of peacefulness.
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Nov 10, 2023
Cadence
A modulation or inflection of the voice.
His cadence changed dramatically during the speech.
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Nov 10, 2023
Cadence
The tempo or pace of an event or activity.
The runners maintained a steady cadence throughout the race.
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Nov 10, 2023
Cadence
The way a story or piece of music concludes.
The novel's cadence was both surprising and satisfying.
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Nov 10, 2023
Repeatedly Asked Queries
What is rhythm?
Rhythm is a repeated pattern of movement or sound, particularly in music, poetry, or dance.
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Nov 10, 2023
Is cadence important in speech?
Yes, cadence affects the inflection and modulation of voice, impacting speech delivery.
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Nov 10, 2023
Can rhythm exist without cadence?
Yes, rhythm is a continuous pattern that doesn't necessarily require a concluding cadence.
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Nov 10, 2023
What is cadence?
Cadence is the flow or sequence of sounds leading to a conclusion, especially in music or speech.
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Nov 10, 2023
How does cadence differ from rhythm in music?
Cadence in music is about the ending of a phrase, while rhythm is the pattern of beats throughout the piece.
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Nov 10, 2023
How is cadence used in writing?
Cadence in writing affects how sentences flow and conclude, influencing the reader's experience.
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Nov 10, 2023
Does cadence only apply to sound?
While often associated with sound, cadence can also apply to the pacing of events or activities.
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Nov 10, 2023
Can rhythm be irregular?
While rhythm is typically regular, some compositions may feature irregular rhythms for effect.
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Nov 10, 2023
Is rhythm the same in music and dance?
Yes, rhythm in both music and dance involves a repeated pattern of beats or movements.
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Nov 10, 2023
Is rhythm always musical?
Rhythm extends beyond music to any regular pattern in movement or speech.
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Nov 10, 2023
Can cadence affect the mood of a piece?
Yes, the cadence can influence the mood by providing resolution or finality.
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Nov 10, 2023
Can rhythm affect the emotional tone of a piece?
Yes, the rhythm can significantly influence the emotional tone and feel of a piece.
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Nov 10, 2023
What role does rhythm play in poetry?
Rhythm in poetry involves the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, contributing to its musical quality.
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Nov 10, 2023
Can rhythm be taught?
Yes, rhythm can be learned and improved through practice in music, dance, or poetry.
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Nov 10, 2023
Are rhythm and beat the same?
Beat is a component of rhythm, serving as the basic time unit in music.
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Nov 10, 2023
How does cadence contribute to storytelling?
Cadence can provide a satisfying or dramatic conclusion to a story or narrative.
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Nov 10, 2023
How does cadence affect a listener's perception?
Cadence can affect how a listener perceives the end of a speech or piece of music, impacting emotional response.
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Nov 10, 2023
Is understanding cadence important for musicians?
Yes, understanding cadence is crucial for musicians, especially in composing and interpreting music.
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Nov 10, 2023
Do all songs have a clear cadence?
Most songs have a cadence, but its clarity can vary depending on the composition.
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Nov 10, 2023
Does every language have its rhythm?
Yes, different languages have distinct rhythmic patterns in speech.
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Nov 10, 2023
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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