Monotone vs. Drone — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Maham Liaqat — Updated on May 2, 2024
Monotone refers to a continuous, unvarying sound in pitch or tone, while drone describes a sustained, low humming or buzzing sound.
Difference Between Monotone and Drone
Table of Contents
ADVERTISEMENT
Key Differences
Monotone is characterized by a lack of variation in pitch, which can make speech or sound seem flat and unemotional. Whereas, a drone typically involves a low, continuous sound that can have a soothing or, conversely, monotonous effect depending on the context.
Monotone often applies to speech patterns, where the speaker's voice does not fluctuate in pitch, potentially leading to a perception of boredom or disinterest. On the other hand, drone is frequently used to describe sounds like those made by machinery or insects, which are repetitive and resonant.
In terms of usage, monotone can also imply a lack of variety and creativity, often used metaphorically to describe any repetitive and dull activity or narrative. Conversely, drone can be used more broadly to denote any kind of continuous background noise, not necessarily unpleasant.
While monotone is primarily a feature of human speech, it can occasionally describe musical or other sound productions that lack tonal variation. Drones, however, are integral to many musical traditions, providing a sustained note or chord upon which melodies are built.
Monotone usually carries a somewhat negative connotation, suggesting something undesirable or lacking in dynamism. Drones, while sometimes criticized for being annoying, also have practical and aesthetic applications, such as in drone music or the droning sound of bagpipes.
ADVERTISEMENT
Comparison Chart
Definition
Unvarying in pitch
Low, continuous hum or buzz
Common Uses
Describes speech or sounds
Describes sounds from various sources like insects, machines, or music
Connotation
Often negative, implying boredom
Can be negative or neutral, useful in music and nature
Contexts
Mostly human-produced (e.g., speech)
Broader application including natural and mechanical sources
Variability
No pitch variation
May involve some tonal or intensity variations
Compare with Definitions
Monotone
Lacking in variety and interest.
The landscape stretched out in a monotone gray.
Drone
To make a sustained deep murmuring, humming, or buzzing sound.
The old engine droned painfully up the hill.
Monotone
Lacking in intonation or pitch variation in speech.
He spoke in a monotone that made the lecture even less interesting.
Drone
A male bee in a colony of social bees, which does no work but can fertilize a queen.
Drones are expelled from the hive in winter.
Monotone
Characterized by a single unvarying tone.
The monotone beep of the alarm clock continued for hours.
Drone
An unmanned aircraft or ship guided by remote control.
The military uses drones for surveillance.
Monotone
Monotonous, tediously uniform or unvarying.
The teacher's monotone voice made it hard to concentrate.
Drone
To speak tediously in a dull or monotonous tone.
He droned on for hours about his stamp collection.
Monotone
Continuously repetitive and dull.
The meeting dragged on in a monotone of voices.
Drone
A continuous low humming sound.
The drone of the air conditioner was a constant background noise.
Monotone
A succession of sounds or words uttered in a single tone of voice.
Drone
A male bee, especially a honeybee, that is characteristically stingless, performs no work, and produces no honey. Its only function is to mate with the queen bee.
Monotone
A single tone repeated with different words or time values, especially in a rendering of a liturgical text.
Drone
An idle person who lives off others; a loafer.
Monotone
A chant in a single tone.
Drone
A person who does tedious or menial work; a drudge
"undervalued drones who labored in obscurity" (Caroline Bates).
Monotone
Sameness or dull repetition in sound, style, manner, or color.
Drone
A remotely controlled or autonomous aircraft with no pilot on board. Also called unmanned aircraft system.
Monotone
Characterized by or uttered in a monotone
A monotone recitation of names.
Drone
A continuous low humming or buzzing sound.
Monotone
Of or having a single color
A cat with a monotone coat.
Drone
Any of the pipes of a bagpipe that lack finger holes and produce a single tone.
Monotone
Also mon·o·ton·ic (mŏn′ə-tŏnĭk) Mathematics Designating sequences, the successive members of which either consistently increase or decrease but do not oscillate in relative value. Each member of a monotone increasing sequence is greater than or equal to the preceding member; each member of a monotone decreasing sequence is less than or equal to the preceding member.
Drone
A long sustained tone.
Monotone
(of speech or a sound) Having a single unvaried pitch.
Drone
Any of various instruments that produce only a constant pitch.
Monotone
(mathematics) Being, or having the salient properties of, a monotone function.
The function is monotone on , while is not.
Drone
To make a continuous low dull humming sound
"Somewhere an electric fan droned without end" (William Styron).
Monotone
A single unvaried tone of speech or a sound.
When Tima felt like her parents were treating her like a servant, she would speak in monotone and act as though she were a robot.
Drone
To speak in a monotonous tone
The lecturer droned on for hours.
Monotone
A piece of writing in one strain throughout.
Drone
To pass or act in a monotonous way.
Monotone
(ambitransitive) To speak in a monotone.
Drone
To utter in a monotonous low tone
"The mosquitoes droned their angry chant" (W. Somerset Maugham).
Monotone
A single unvaried tone or sound.
Drone
A male ant, bee or wasp, which does not work but can fertilize the queen.
Monotone
The utterance of successive syllables, words, or sentences, on one unvaried key or line of pitch.
Drone
Someone who does not work; a lazy person, an idler.
Monotone
An unchanging intonation
Drone
One who performs menial or tedious work.
Monotone
A single tone repeated with different words or different rhythms (especially in rendering liturgical texts)
Drone
(aviation) A remotely controlled aircraft, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
Several images of the compound were obtained via a drone overflight.
One team member launched a camera drone over the Third Pole.
Monotone
Of a sequence or function; consistently increasing and never decreasing or consistently decreasing and never increasing in value
Drone
(Uganda) A Toyota HiAce or a similar van, especially one used by Ugandan state agents to kidnap opposition members.
Monotone
Sounded or spoken in a tone unvarying in pitch;
The owl's faint monotonous hooting
Drone
A person without the ability to think critically and independently, especially one who follows a group blindly; a non-player character.
Drone
A low-pitched hum or buzz.
Drone
(musical instrument) One of the fixed-pitch pipes on a bagpipe.
Drone
A genre of music that uses repeated lengthy droning sounds.
Drone
A humming or deep murmuring sound.
Drone
To kill with a missile fired by unmanned aircraft.
Drone
To produce a low-pitched hum or buzz.
Drone
To speak in a monotone way.
Drone
The male of bees, esp. of the honeybee. It gathers no honey. See Honeybee.
All with united force combine to driveThe lazy drones from the laborious hive.
Drone
One who lives on the labors of others; a lazy, idle fellow; a sluggard.
By living as a drone,to be an unprofitable and unworthy member of so noble and learned a society.
Drone
That which gives out a grave or monotonous tone or dull sound; as: (a) A drum. [Obs.] Halliwell. (b) The part of the bagpipe containing the two lowest tubes, which always sound the key note and the fifth.
Drone
A humming or deep murmuring sound.
The monotonous drone of the wheel.
Drone
A monotonous bass, as in a pastoral composition.
Drone
To utter or make a low, dull, monotonous, humming or murmuring sound.
Where the beetle wheels his droning flight.
Drone
To love in idleness; to do nothing.
Drone
Stingless male bee in a colony of social bees (especially honeybees) whose sole function is to mate with the queen
Drone
An unchanging intonation
Drone
Someone who takes more time than necessary; someone who lags behind
Drone
An aircraft without a pilot that is operated by remote control
Drone
A pipe of the bagpipe that is tuned to produce a single continuous tone
Drone
Make a monotonous low dull sound;
The harmonium was droning on
Drone
Talk in a monotonous voice
Common Curiosities
How can a drone be useful in photography?
Drones equipped with cameras are used extensively in aerial photography to capture high-altitude images or videos.
Can music be monotone?
Yes, music can be monotone if it lacks harmonic or tonal variation, though this is rare in conventional compositions.
Is a drone sound always unpleasant?
No, drone sounds can be soothing or integral to certain musical pieces, though they may be annoying if monotonous and loud.
What is the purpose of a drone in music?
In music, a drone provides a continuous harmonic background over which other melodies are played, adding depth and resonance.
Why might someone speak in a monotone?
Some people may speak in a monotone due to nervousness, lack of emotional expressiveness, or certain neurological conditions.
What is the difference between a drone and a monotone in context of sound?
A drone is a sustained, often rhythmic sound, while a monotone refers specifically to the unvarying pitch or tone.
Do all languages use monotone speech patterns?
Not all; tonal languages like Chinese use pitch variations significantly in speech to convey different meanings.
How does a monotone affect emotional expression?
A monotone voice can mask emotional nuances, making feelings less communicable.
What is a monotone voice?
A monotone voice is one that does not vary in pitch or tone, often resulting in a dull or unengaging sound.
Can drones be controlled remotely?
Yes, many drones are designed to be controlled remotely for various uses like photography, surveillance, or recreation.
What is a common characteristic of drone sounds?
Drone sounds are commonly continuous and can vary in pitch and intensity depending on the source.
How do monotone and drone differ in their implications for attention?
Monotone can lead to disinterest and inattention due to lack of variation, while drone might be either hypnotic or distracting depending on its characteristics.
Can the sound of a drone be musical?
Yes, many musical genres incorporate drone sounds to create a rich auditory landscape.
Are there drones in nature?
Yes, for example, the humming of bees is often described as droning.
What is the effect of speaking in a monotone on communication?
Speaking in a monotone can make communication less engaging and harder to follow.
Share Your Discovery
Previous Comparison
Rabbit vs. Hare
Next Comparison
Planet vs. SatelliteAuthor Spotlight
Written by
Maham Liaqat
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
