Inflection
WordNet
noun
(1) The patterns of stress and intonation in a language
(2) A manner of speaking in which the loudness or pitch or tone of the voice is modified
(3) Deviation from a straight or normal course
(4) A change in the form of a word (usually by adding a suffix) to indicate a change in its grammatical function
WiktionaryText
Etymology
From the English inflexion, from the inflexio, inflexionis (a bending away from); the variant spelling inflection is due to influence from correction.