upspeak

noun

up·speak ˈəp-ˌspēk

variants or less commonly up-speak

: uptalk

Speak with confidence. Lots of people have speech patterns that convey uncertainty. Eliminate upspeak—giving the last syllable a higher inflection.—

Kathryn Rem, The State Journal-Register (Springfield, Illinois), 21 June 1998

… the giddy upspeak of the L.A. Basin (Hi? My name is Mary?) …—

Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2000

upspeak intransitive verb

or less commonly up-speak

upspoke ˈəp-ˌspōk

also up-spoke; upspoken ˈəp-ˌspō-kən

also up-spoken; upspeaking also up-speaking; upspeaks also up-speaks

There's this linguist? Cynthia McLemore? Who studied female students at the University of Texas? Who up-speak a lot? And she found out that up-talk may very well serve a useful purpose. All those up inflections? They draw attention to what one says, McLemore claims. —

Bonnie McGrath, Chicago Tribune, 28 Nov. 1993