Tone vs. Voice — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Urooj Arif — Updated on April 20, 2024
Tone refers to the emotional quality or attitude conveyed in writing or speech, shaping how the audience feels, while voice is the distinct style or personality an author or speaker brings to their communication, making their expression unique.
Difference Between Tone and Voice
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Tone directly influences the reader's or listener's perception of the message, reflecting emotions like seriousness, humor, or sarcasm. Whereas voice involves the unique combination of word choices, sentence structures, and rhythm that identifies the speaker or writer.
Tone can vary even within a single piece of writing or speech depending on the context or subject matter, aiming to align with the audience's emotions or expectations. On the other hand, voice tends to remain consistent across different works by the same author or speaker, serving as a signature of their identity.
Tone is adjustable and can be adapted to suit different types of content, audiences, or purposes, making it dynamic and situational. While voice is more about the consistent and recognizable personality or perspective that an author or speaker consistently projects.
Tone helps to set the mood or atmosphere of a piece, whether it's a novel, an article, or a speech, and is often described with adjectives like "light," "dark," "warm," or "cold." Whereas voice is what makes the content recognizable to the audience as belonging to a particular writer or speaker, often highlighted through unique phrasing or viewpoints.
Tone is about how something is said, impacting how the message is received and understood. Voice, however, is about who is saying it, shaping how the audience connects with the speaker or writer on a personal level.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Emotional quality or attitude of a message
Unique style or personality in communication
Adjustability
Variable, can change based on content
Consistent, unique to the individual
Purpose
Influences audience perception
Establishes authorial/speaker identity
Description
Described as light, dark, warm, cold, etc.
Identified through patterns, word choice
Impact
Affects mood and reception of content
Affects recognition and personal connection
Compare with Definitions
Tone
The general character or attitude of a piece of writing or speech.
The tone of the letter was very formal and polite.
Voice
The characteristic speech and thought patterns of a first-person narrator.
The voice of the novel's protagonist is both witty and sad.
Tone
The atmosphere of a place as communicated to and felt by others.
There was a tone of excitement at the grand opening.
Voice
The distinctive tone or style of a literary work or author.
The writer’s voice is clear and engaging.
Tone
A quality in the voice that expresses the speaker's feelings or thoughts.
His tone was stern when he asked the children to behave.
Voice
A particular opinion or attitude expressed.
His voice in the debate was one of strong dissent.
Tone
The mood implied by an author's word choice and the way that the text can make a reader feel.
The tone of the novel is gloomy and foreboding.
Voice
A range of expression that an agency or individual has.
The organization has developed a unique voice on social issues.
Tone
The effect of an utterance in terms of its communicative intent.
She spoke in a reassuring tone to calm her friend.
Voice
The means or instrument of expression, as in writing or speech.
She used her voice effectively to advocate for change.
Tone
A musical or vocal sound with reference to its pitch, quality, and strength
They were speaking in hushed tones
The piano tone appears lacking in warmth
Voice
The sound produced by the vocal organs of a vertebrate, especially a human.
Tone
The general character or attitude of a place, piece of writing, situation, etc.
There was a general tone of ill-concealed glee in the reporting
My friend and I lowered the tone with our oafish ways
Voice
The ability to produce such sounds
He has laryngitis and has lost his voice.
Tone
A basic interval in classical Western music, equal to two semitones and separating, for example, the first and second notes of an ordinary scale (such as C and D, or E and F sharp); a major second
The B flat clarinet's part is written one tone higher than the pitch required
Voice
The mind as it produces verbal thoughts
Listening to the voice within.
Tone
The particular quality of brightness, deepness, or hue of a shade of a colour
An attractive colour which is even in tone and texture
Stained glass in vivid tones of red and blue
Voice
A specified quality, condition, or pitch of vocal sound
A hoarse voice.
The announcer's booming voice.
Tone
(in some languages, such as Chinese) a particular pitch pattern on a syllable used to make semantic distinctions.
Voice
(Linguistics) Expiration of air through vibrating vocal cords, used in the production of vowels and voiced consonants.
Tone
The normal level of firmness or slight contraction in a resting muscle
A reduction of muscle tone
A certain amount of daily exercise is essential to maintain proper body tone and function
Voice
A sound resembling or reminiscent of vocal utterance
The murmuring voice of the forest.
Tone
Give greater strength or firmness to (the body or a muscle)
Exercise tones up the muscles
Voice
Musical sound produced by vibration of the human vocal cords and resonated within the throat and head cavities.
Tone
Harmonize with (something) in terms of colour
The rich orange colour of the wood tones beautifully with the yellow roses
Voice
The quality or condition of a person's singing
A baritone in excellent voice.
Tone
Give (a monochrome picture) an altered colour in finishing by means of a chemical solution
It's a good idea to sepia tone the whole print first
Voice
A singer
A choir of excellent voices.
Tone
A sound of distinct pitch, quality, and duration; a note.
Voice
One of the individual vocal or instrumental parts or strands in a composition
A fugue for four voices.
String voices carrying the melody. Also called voice part.
Tone
The interval of a major second in the diatonic scale; a whole step.
Voice
Expression; utterance
Gave voice to their feelings at the meeting.
Tone
A recitational melody in a Gregorian chant.
Voice
A medium or agency of expression
A newsletter that serves as a neighborhood voice.
Tone
The quality or character of sound.
Voice
The right or opportunity to express a choice or opinion
A territory that has a voice, but not a vote, in Congress.
Tone
The characteristic quality or timbre of a particular instrument or voice.
Voice
(Grammar) A property of verbs or a set of verb inflections indicating the relation between the subject and the action expressed by the verb
"Birds build nests" uses the active voice.
"nests built by birds" uses the passive voice. Also called diathesis.
Tone
The pitch of a word used to determine its meaning or to distinguish differences in meaning.
Voice
The distinctive style or manner of expression of an author or of a character in a book.
Tone
The particular or relative pitch of a word, phrase, or sentence.
Voice
To give expression to; utter
Voice a grievance.
Tone
Manner of expression in speech or writing
Took an angry tone with the reporters.
Voice
(Linguistics) To pronounce with vibration of the vocal cords.
Tone
A general quality, effect, or atmosphere
A room with an elegant tone.
Voice
To provide (a composition) with voice parts.
Tone
A color or shade of color
Light tones of blue.
Voice
To regulate the tone of (the pipes of an organ, for example).
Tone
Quality of color
The green wallpaper had a particularly somber tone.
Voice
To provide the voice for (a cartoon character or show, for example)
The animated series was voiced by famous actors.
Tone
The general effect in painting of light, color, and shade.
Voice
Sound uttered by the mouth, especially by human beings in speech or song; sound thus uttered considered as possessing some special quality or character
The human voice is the oldest musical instrument in history.
She has a pleasant voice.
His low voice allowed him to become a bass in the choir.
Tone
The normal state of elastic tension or partial contraction in resting muscles.
Voice
(phonetics) Sound made through vibration of the vocal cords; sonant, or intonated, utterance; tone; — distinguished from mere breath sound as heard in whispering and voiceless consonants.
Tone
Normal firmness of a tissue or an organ.
Voice
The tone or sound emitted by an object
Tone
To give a particular tone or inflection to.
Voice
The faculty or power of utterance
To cultivate the voice
Tone
To soften or change the color of (a painting or photographic negative, for example).
Voice
That which is communicated; message; meaning.
Tone
To sound monotonously; intone.
Voice
An expressed opinion, choice, will, desire, or wish; the right or ability to make such expression or to have it considered
Tone
To make firmer or stronger. Often used with up
Exercises that tone up the body.
Voice
(archaic) Command; precept.
Tone
To assume a particular color quality.
Voice
One who speaks; a speaker.
Tone
To harmonize in color.
Voice
(literature) A particular style or way of writing that expresses a certain tone or feeling.
Tone
(music) A specific pitch.
Voice
(grammar) A particular way of inflecting or conjugating verbs, or a particular form of a verb, by means of which is indicated the relation of the subject of the verb to the action which the verb expresses.
The verbal system of Latin has two voices, active and passive.
Tone
(music) (in the diatonic scale) An interval of a major second.
Voice
(music) In harmony, an independent vocal or instrumental part in a piece of composition.
The theme of this piece constantly migrates between the three voice parts.
Tone
(music) (in a Gregorian chant) A recitational melody.
Voice
A flag associated with a user on a channel, determining whether or not they can send messages to the channel.
Tone
The character of a sound, especially the timbre of an instrument or voice.
Voice
(transitive) To give utterance or expression to; to utter; to publish; to announce
He voiced the sentiments of the nation.
Tone
(linguistics) The pitch of a word that distinguishes a difference in meaning, for example in Chinese.
Voice
To utter audibly, with tone and not just breath.
Tone
(dated) A whining style of speaking; a kind of mournful or artificial strain of voice; an affected speaking with a measured rhythm and a regular rise and fall of the voice.
Children often read with a tone.
Voice
(transitive) To fit for producing the proper sounds; to regulate the tone of
Voice the pipes of an organ
Tone
(literature) The manner in which speech or writing is expressed.
Voice
To vote; to elect; to appoint
Tone
(obsolete) State of mind; temper; mood.
Voice
To clamor; to cry out
Tone
The shade or quality of a colour.
Voice
To assign the voice flag to a user on IRC, permitting them to send messages to the channel.
Tone
The favourable effect of a picture produced by the combination of light and shade, or of colours.
This picture has tone.
Voice
To act as a voice actor to portray a character.
Tone
The definition and firmness of a muscle or organ; see also: tonus.
Voice
Sound uttered by the mouth, especially that uttered by human beings in speech or song; sound thus uttered considered as possessing some special quality or character; as, the human voice; a pleasant voice; a low voice.
He with a manly voice saith his message.
Her voice was ever soft,Gentle, and low; an excellent thing in woman.
Thy voice is music.
Join thy voice unto the angel choir.
Tone
(biology) The state of a living body or of any of its organs or parts in which the functions are healthy and performed with due vigor.
Voice
Sound of the kind or quality heard in speech or song in the consonants b, v, d, etc., and in the vowels; sonant, or intonated, utterance; tone; - distinguished from mere breath sound as heard in f, s, sh, etc., and also whisper.
Tone
(biology) Normal tension or responsiveness to stimuli.
Voice
The tone or sound emitted by anything.
After the fire a still small voice.
Canst thou thunder with a voice like him?
The floods have lifted up their voice.
O Marcus, I am warm'd; my heartLeaps at the trumpet's voice.
Tone
A gun
Voice
The faculty or power of utterance; as, to cultivate the voice.
Tone
(figuratively)
Voice
Language; words; speech; expression; signification of feeling or opinion.
I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.
My voice is in my sword.
Let us call on God in the voice of his church.
Tone
The general character, atmosphere, mood, or vibe (of a situation, place, etc.).
Her rousing speech gave an upbeat tone to the rest of the evening.
Voice
Opinion or choice expressed; judgment; a vote.
Sic. How now, my masters! have you chose this man?1 Cit. He has our voices, sir.
Some laws ordain, and some attend the choiceOf holy senates, and elect by voice.
Tone
(Chiefly in the form lower/raise the tone of something) The quality of being respectable or admirable.
Voice
Command; precept; - now chiefly used in scriptural language.
So shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the Lord your God.
Tone
(transitive) to give a particular tone to
Voice
One who speaks; a speaker.
Tone
(transitive) to change the colour of
Voice
A particular mode of inflecting or conjugating verbs, or a particular form of a verb, by means of which is indicated the relation of the subject of the verb to the action which the verb expresses.
Tone
(transitive) to make (something) firmer
Voice
To give utterance or expression to; to utter; to publish; to announce; to divulge; as, to voice the sentiments of the nation.
It was voiced that the king purposed to put to death Edward Plantagenet.
Tone
(transitive) to utter with an affected tone.
Voice
To utter with sonant or vocal tone; to pronounce with a narrowed glottis and rapid vibrations of the vocal cords; to speak above a whisper.
Tone
The one (of two)
Voice
To fit for producing the proper sounds; to regulate the tone of; as, to voice the pipes of an organ.
Tone
Sound, or the character of a sound, or a sound considered as of this or that character; as, a low, high, loud, grave, acute, sweet, or harsh tone.
[Harmony divine] smooths her charming tones.
Tones that with seraph hymns might blend.
Voice
To vote; to elect; to appoint.
Tone
Accent, or inflection or modulation of the voice, as adapted to express emotion or passion.
Eager his tone, and ardent were his eyes.
Voice
To clamor; to cry out.
Tone
A whining style of speaking; a kind of mournful or artificial strain of voice; an affected speaking with a measured rhythm ahd a regular rise and fall of the voice; as, children often read with a tone.
Voice
The distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech;
A shrill voice sounded behind us
Tone
A sound considered as to pitch; as, the seven tones of the octave; she has good high tones.
Voice
The sound made by the vibration of vocal folds modified by the resonance of the vocal tract;
A singer takes good care of his voice
The giraffe cannot make any vocalizations
Tone
That state of a body, or of any of its organs or parts, in which the animal functions are healthy and performed with due vigor.
Voice
A sound suggestive of a vocal utterance;
The noisy voice of the waterfall
The incessant voices of the artillery
Tone
Tonicity; as, arterial tone.
Voice
Expressing in coherent verbal form;
The articulation of my feelings
I gave voice to my feelings
Tone
State of mind; temper; mood.
The strange situation I am in and the melancholy state of public affairs, . . . drag the mind down . . . from a philosophical tone or temper, to the drudgery of private and public business.
Their tone was dissatisfied, almost menacing.
Voice
A means or agency by which something is expressed or communicated;
The voice of the law
The Times is not the voice of New York
Conservatism has many voices
Tone
Tenor; character; spirit; drift; as, the tone of his remarks was commendatory.
Voice
Something suggestive of speech in being a medium of expression;
The wee small voice of conscience
The voice of experience
He said his voices told him to do it
Tone
General or prevailing character or style, as of morals, manners, or sentiment, in reference to a scale of high and low; as, a low tone of morals; a tone of elevated sentiment; a courtly tone of manners.
Voice
(metonymy) a singer;
He wanted to hear trained voices sing it
Tone
The general effect of a picture produced by the combination of light and shade, together with color in the case of a painting; - commonly used in a favorable sense; as, this picture has tone.
Voice
An advocate who represents someone else's policy or purpose;
The meeting was attended by spokespersons for all the major organs of government
Tone
Quality, with respect to attendant feeling; the more or less variable complex of emotion accompanying and characterizing a sensation or a conceptual state; as, feeling tone; color tone.
Voice
The ability to speak;
He lost his voice
Tone
Color quality proper; - called also hue. Also, a gradation of color, either a hue, or a tint or shade.
She was dressed in a soft cloth of a gray tone.
Voice
(linguistics) the grammatical relation (active or passive) of the grammatical subject of a verb to the action that the verb denotes
Tone
The condition of normal balance of a healthy plant in its relations to light, heat, and moisture.
Voice
The melody carried by a particular voice or instrument in polyphonic music;
He tried to sing the tenor part
Tone
To utter with an affected tone.
Voice
Give voice to;
He voiced his concern
Tone
To bring, as a print, to a certain required shade of color, as by chemical treatment.
Its thousand hues toned down harmoniusly.
The best method for the purpose in hand was to employ some one of a character and position suited to get possession of their confidence, and then use it to tone down their religious strictures.
Voice
Utter with vibrating vocal chords
Tone
The quality of a person's voice;
He began in a conversational tone
He spoke in a nervous tone of voice
Tone
(linguistics) a pitch or change in pitch of the voice that serves to distinguish words in tonal languages;
The Beijing dialect uses four tones
Tone
(music) the distinctive property of a complex sound (a voice or noise or musical sound);
The timbre of her soprano was rich and lovely
The muffled tones of the broken bell summoned them to meet
Tone
The general atmosphere of a place or situation and the effect that it has on people;
The feel of the city excited him
A clergyman improved the tone of the meeting
It had the smell of treason
Tone
A quality of a given color that differs slightly from a primary color;
After several trials he mixed the shade of pink that she wanted
Tone
A notation representing the pitch and duration of a musical sound;
The singer held the note too long
Tone
A steady sound without overtones;
They tested his hearing with pure tones of different frequencies
Tone
The elastic tension of living muscles, arteries, etc. that facilitate response to stimuli;
The doctor tested my tonicity
Tone
A musical interval of two semitones
Tone
The quality of something (an act or a piece of writing) that reveals the attitudes and presuppositions of the author;
The general tone of articles appearing in the newspapers is that the government should withdraw
From the tone of her behavior I gathered that I had outstayed my welcome
Tone
Utter monotonously and repetitively and rhythmically;
The students chanted the same slogan over and over again
Tone
Of one's speech, varying the pitch
Tone
Change the color or tone of;
Tone a negative
Tone
Change to a color image;
Tone a photographic image
Tone
Give a healthy elasticity to;
Let's tone our muscles
Common Curiosities
Is it possible for an author to change their voice?
While an author's voice may evolve over time, it generally remains distinct and recognizable as their own.
How can an author adjust the tone of their writing?
An author can adjust tone through choice of words, sentence structure, and by considering the emotional impact on the audience.
How does voice contribute to the uniqueness of a piece?
Voice contributes to uniqueness by infusing the author's personal style and perspective, making the work identifiable.
What's the relationship between tone and genre?
Different genres often have expected tones, such as a serious tone in scholarly articles or a light-hearted tone in comedic writing.
Can tone affect the overall message of a piece?
Yes, tone significantly affects how a message is perceived and can change the intended meaning of the text.
How do writers develop their voice?
Writers develop their voice through consistent practice, reflecting their values, experiences, and the deliberate choices they make in their writing.
What is a tone-deaf statement?
A tone-deaf statement fails to consider the emotional or situational context, often resulting in a negative reception.
Can voice be the same across different writers?
While different writers might share similarities in style, each voice is unique due to the individual's specific choice of expression.
How does tone influence reader engagement?
The right tone can engage readers by resonating emotionally, while an inappropriate tone can alienate them.
Does every piece of writing have a voice?
Yes, every piece of writing has a voice, whether or not the writer is aware of it; it's a central aspect of the author's expression.
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Written 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.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
