"intone" is a valid and correct word in written English.
It is usually used to mean to say something in a solemn or measured way, often with a deep voice. Example sentence: The pastor intoned a prayer as the congregation bowed their heads.
Officially, French leaders intone how they want to see London stay in the European club, but not at the expense of giving away lots of concessions to help Cameron.
The students quote from a Hollywood film on the subject, "Charlie Wilson's War", in which American officials intone, "Let's go kill some Russians".
And note that Transparency International, a Berlin-based body that rates countries according to the cleanliness of their public ethics, puts Germany in 18th place in its latest league table, one rung below Chile.Most German politicians these days intone in unison that "we need reform", but few seem to recognise how urgent and radical it has to be if their economy is to regain its old fizz.
It is becoming more acceptable for black South Africans to scorn and abuse whites openly as a racial group.Though the ANC and its leaders continue to intone the mantra that South Africa belongs "to all its people, black and white", as enshrined in the constitution, many members of minorities—Indians and coloureds, as well as whites are beginning to have their doubts.
The choice of Prague honours Europe's triumph over Soviet repression, television reporters intone, as Air Force One banks majestically in the winter sunshine.
But the main rebuff offered by politicians isn't one of them: that the scheme, as many of them intone, would punish all tipplers for the sins of an irresponsible "small minority".Most political euphemisms extraordinary rendition, collateral damage, "misspeaking" and so on are designed, as George Orwell put it, to make "murder respectable", or at least to camouflage dishonesty or scandal.
Urban activists, a tiny minority, must not force the hands of politicians picked by hundreds of millions, they intone.
He tries to focus his countrymen's attention on foreign competition and likes to intone that Britain is running a "global race" against hungry opponents.
We must not take away from these remarkable achievements, ministers would intone: children today work much harder than in my day, and teachers are doing a wonderful job.
Replace "nationwide" with "global", and you have a mantra that international financial chiefs increasingly intone as they ponder the problems facing banks.
Urban activists, a tiny minority, must not force the hands of politicians picked by hundreds of millions of voters, they intone.
