tone

(noun)

The manner in which speech or writing is expressed.

Related Terms

Examples of tone in the following topics:

  • Appropriate Tone

    • In writing, tone is defined as the author's attitude or emotion toward the subject and the reader.
    • Most business correspondence is written in the formal tone.
    • Even the most positive message can be misunderstood if the tone is not correct.
    • Most business correspondence is written in the formal tone .
    • In a negative message, it is best to use a gracious and sincere tone.

  • Anticipating Audience Reaction

    • It is essential to pay attention to the tone of the message, because it is a good indicator of how the reader will feel while reading the message.
    • A professional, yet friendly tone makes the writer sound both professional and approachable.
    • Keep in mind that the best messages rely on words that will have a positive impact on the tone of the message.
    • Improperly chosen words can contribute to an overall negative tone and make an otherwise innocuous message sound unpleasant.

  • Keeping the Audience in Mind

    • When writing a business proposal to upper management, your tone would likely be more professional and your word choice more formal than if you were writing an email proposing a team bonding activity.
    • A formal tone and more official word selection leads to a very different type of piece than an informal tone and simpler word selection.

  • Delivering the Goods

    • Research indicates that the body language and tones of voice associated with a spoken message may pack up to 10 times as much impact than its words do, so you should manage those nonverbal elements carefully in ways that further your purposes.
    • Plan to vary your tone of voice.
    • To see whether your natural delivery style includes a large enough range of tones to be interesting, speak a few paragraphs of a manuscript to yourself with your mouth closed.

  • Questions and Answers

    • This format is most successful in the business world when it employs a conversational tone.

  • Introduction

    • Owners set the direction for the values of the company, develop its product and service strategies, and set the tone for its relationships with customers.

  • Giving and receiving feedback

    • Words used to tell ideas are only "7 per cent of your communication, your tone of voice comes out to 38 per cent and your gestures are equivalent to 55 per cent of your total communication" (Hathaway).
    • Matching a person's voice tone, tempo, body posture, movements, and gestures creates a feedback environment where the ideas being communicated are easily understood.

  • Correctness

    • The dominant tone in business writing is usually serious.

  • Power

    • By its very nature, writing lacks the stimulating visual cues we derive from face-to-face contact—body language, tone of voice, and variations in volume.

  • FIIGMO, Dead Meat, and Saying Good-bye

    • We'd hear scuttlebutt in the hallways, perhaps, or notice cues directly from the unfortunate person: stooped shoulders, a distracted gaze, or a resigned tone of voice.