This paper is an overview of the study of intonation in the Croatian language. From the first description for stylistic purposes to the presentation of intonation as a prosodic, as expressed in a very comprehensive description by academician Škarić, intonation has found its place in Croatian literature and has been described in several contemporary grammars and manuals. A comparative analysis of the grammar of the Croatian language systematizes the description of intonation and its recording. According to the review of intonation in literature, an analysis of primary and secondary school textbooks was performed in which omissions / errors in the description were noticed. In order to compare the intonation in theory and practice, the speech corpus from the Croatian school system was further selected and the intonation in the lecturers’ speech was studied. The lecturers’ speech from the programs Škola za život and Škola na Trećem was listened to and analyzed. The corpus consists of 135 minutes of video lectures of randomly selected school subjects and speakers in the lower grades of elementary school and fourth grade of high school. A description of intonation in theory and specific examples from practice, prepared or learned speech and spontaneous speech are brought into relationship, on the basis of which children consciously or unconsciously adopt intonation.