An inflection was a change in pitch in an individual's voice. It was a common characteristic of languages. One common misconception was that all Rateg spoke with the same particular inflection. (TNG: "Unification I" ) Inflections could often give clues as to a person's origins. In 2153, Hoshi Sato surmised that MACO soldier N. Kemper came from Duluth, saying there was plenty of the city's influence evident in his inflections. (ENT: "The Xindi") In 2366, Kivas Fajo marveled over Data's voice simulation, including the inflections. (TNG: "The Most Toys" )