In writing, an author's tone is their general attitude or feelings about the subject and audience of the work.Pitch words are used to express this attitude. In this article, we'll talk about what tone words are, discuss their usage in several examples, and provide a list of tone words with definitions that you can use in your writing. Authors convey tone through diction (word choice), point of view, and syntax.Pitch words are specific words that help express an author's take on a topic. Words usually have a positive, negative, or neutral connotation.Pitch words help writers show whether they feel positive, negative, or neutral about what they're writing. Here are some examples of tone words in action: The tone word "absurd" indicates that the author finds the statement ridiculous or silly. The tonal word "eloquent" has a positive connotation, indicating that the author found the speech articulate and persuasive.
What are tonal words?
Voice of Tonevs
Many authors confuse tone and voice or use the two terms interchangeably.In fact, they are very different.
As we have already discussed,Tone indicates an author's or character's attitude toward a particular topic or situation. In nonfiction, tonal words indicate what the author is thinking. In fiction, tone words can help set mood by showing whether a particular situation or interaction is tense, happy, sad, and so on.
The voice, on the other hand, refers to the overall personality of a work.An author's voice can be sarcastic, informative, friendly, or something else entirely.
You can remember the difference like this: the pitch is constantly changing. Voice refers to the character that a piece has at any given time. The pitch can change from phrase to phrase while the voice remains constant.
Here is an example:
In a young adult novel, the author has a casual voice. He doesn't use a particularly complex vocabulary and his writing is very accessible. Throughout the story, the character experiences conflicts and triumphs. In conflict scenes, tonal words indicate tension. In scenes where there is triumph, the tonal words indicate joy.
The author's general mode of word choice and writing approach remains the same throughout the work, but the specific words she uses will change as she describes different situations.
In other words, voice is how readers recognize you, the author, in your work. The voice is personal to each author and lasts throughout a piece. Tonal words, on the other hand, indicate the author's (or character's) reactions or opinions about the events taking place. As different events occur, the tone changes.
How to find the right tone for your work
Finding the right tone for your work requires considering your audience and your message.
Start by asking yourself these three questions:
- Who am I writing this piece for?
- What am I trying to say to my reader?
- How do you want my reader to feel?
Your audience will dictate the type of words you choose.If you're writing for an academic audience, you may use more complicated language than if you're writing for children. You also need to consider what you are saying to your reader. Do you want them to leave with a positive or negative opinion of what you are presenting? How do you want them to feel about the information you give them?
These questions will help you decide which words to use in your work.
Analyzing sound word examples
Let's look at two examples of tonal words in classical literature.
A clean, well-lit place by Ernest Hemingway
"It was very late and everyone had left the cafe except for an old man who was sitting in the shade of the tree's leaves against the electric lights. During the day the road was dusty but at night the dew settled on the dust and the old man liked to sit up late because he was deaf and now he was calm at night and felt the difference.”
This extract exhibits a calm and peaceful tone. Words like "calm" and "calm" indicate that the senior is relaxed and feels secure.
The Telltale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe
"I gasped, but the cops didn't hear. I spoke faster, harder, but the noise grew louder. I stood up and discussed nonsense, loudly and with violent gestures; but the noise steadily increased. Why wouldn't they have gone? I paced, heavy-footed, as if angry at the men's remarks, but the noise steadily increased. Oh God! What can I do? I foamed, raged, cursed!
This passage from The Tell-Tale Heart indicates a nervous and anxious tone. The expressions "violent gestures" and "heavy steps" show the upward movement and increase the sense of intensity.
The ultimate list of tone words
These tone words will help you set the tone for your work.
Ton Wort | Meaning |
Ashamed | relocate or relocate; also fascinated |
Absurd | ridiculous; Nonsense. |
Accusative | an accusatory tone; Charged with a felony or misdemeanor |
admonish | admonish, scold or scold; particularly friendly and well-meaning; Remember |
Lovingly | look with appreciation, love and respect; to honor |
Lustig | pleasantly funny, busy or funny. |
Apathetic | having or showing little or no emotion; indifferent or indifferent |
Benevolent | characterized by or expression of benevolence or friendly feelings. |
Ashamed | completely confused or confused; confused. |
bite | sarcastic, with a caustic or sarcastic tone. |
Bitter | It is characterized by intense antagonism or hostility. |
challenged | suddenly; blunt. |
bold | not flinching or afraid of danger or rejection; bold and daring. |
abrupt | suddenly; blind; hard. |
Quiet | devoid of excitement or passion; Don't worry. |
Sincerely | Frank; Open |
alegre | in a good mood. |
Impolite | critical or meanly harsh. |
Comic | Fun; fun. |
Dominant | imposing; he exudes superiority. |
Pretentious | have an overly positive opinion of yourself or your abilities. |
litigation | quarrelsome, quarrelsome |
abrupt | roughly short or abrupt |
Desperate | has an urgent need, a desire. |
Separated | impartial or objective; disinterested; impartial/unaffected; the distance. |
diabolical | devilish; devilish; outrageously bad. |
incredulous | has no belief in; deny or reject the belief. |
despicable | to express contempt or contempt. |
Angeekelt | cause nausea or disgust. Offend taste or moral sense. |
Disrespectful | show a lack of respect; impolite and impolite. |
Disturbed | characterized by symptoms of mental illness. |
doubtful | uncertain outcome or outcome. |
dramatic | Of or pertaining to theatre; too confrontational. |
Sad | cause sadness or sadness. |
Ernst | sincere in intention or sincerely celoso. |
Lush | full of enthusiasm or excitement; cheered up |
in Ecstasy | in a state of ecstasy; in ecstasy. |
Profusely | unreservedly or unduly demonstrative. |
Egotistical | They go; arrogant; indifferent to the well-being of others; egotistical. |
sublime | very happy or proud; jubilant in a good mood. |
Ashamed | feel embarrassed or uncomfortable. |
furious | get extremely angry; Fury; Fury. |
enthusiastic | enthusiastic; energetic |
evasive | ambiguous; enigmatic; obscure |
enthusiastic | emotionally excited; touched |
Lustig | inappropriate; Light |
Luz | superficial; simply; little deep; ruthless frivolous |
Powerful | powerful; energetic; Naturally; assertive |
Formal | respectful; artificially; thorough; following accepted styles/rules |
Frank | honest; direct; Apartment; As a matter of fact |
Frustrated | nervous; sad |
Art | kind; taken into account; Light; soft |
Macabre | Indulging in the disgusting or disgusting |
Strength | serious; scruffy; depressing; humorless; macabre |
gullible | naive; innocent; ignorant |
Remain | insensitive; hard heart; inflexible |
Modest | deferential modest |
humorous | Fun; fun; playful |
supercritical | overly critical; splitting hairs; moody |
Impartial | impartial; neutral; Goal |
Passionate | full of emotions; combustion |
supplicant | supplicant; beg |
impressionable | trusting childish |
futile | Nonsense; Folly; Idiot; absurd |
outraged | furious |
incredulous | unbelievers; unconvinced; Survey; suspicious |
outraged | nervous; nervous; dissatisfied |
Informative | instructive; thorough; instructive |
inspiring | encouraging; smoothing |
Intensive | Serious; passionate; focused; deeply felt |
Intimate | trusted; informal; confidential; confessional |
Ironic | the opposite of what it means |
Disrespectful | Disrespect for things that are normally taken seriously |
Tired | bored; having had too much of it; lack of enthusiasm |
alegre | positive; optimistic; Happy; sublime |
critical | critical; Find mistakes; pejorative |
alegre | carefree; relaxed; Speaker; humorous |
Lovingly | lovingly; shows intense and deep concern |
Macabre | terrible; terrible; gruesome |
malicious | wanting to harm others or seeing others suffer; malicious; vicious |
mean | ruthless in the nice |
mocking | despicable; ridiculous; make fun of someone |
purchased | Duel; Whine; unhappy |
Naive | innocent; unsophisticated; immature |
Narcissistic | self-admiration; egotistical; arrogant; self-compassion |
Disgusting | disgusting; awful; disgusting; violent |
Negative | unhappy, pessimistic |
Nostalgic | reflecting on the past; wishing for something from the past |
Seek | despite; without discrimination; just; based on facts |
Optimistic | hopeful; Happy |
outraged | angry and resentful; furious; Very angry |
Open | Frank; honest; spoken unreservedly |
pathetic | Express pity, sympathy, tenderness |
Schutz | condescending despicable; pompous |
Pensive | reflective; introspective; philosophical; pensive |
convincing | convincing; eloquent; influential; plausible |
Pessimistic | see the downside of things |
Philosophical | theoretically; analytically; rational; logical |
Playful | full of fun and good humor; good-natured jokes |
Pragmatic | Realist; sensitive |
Pretentious | affected; artificially; splendid; rhetorical; noticeable |
forgiveness | apologetic forgiveness |
resentful | insulted; insulted; disgusted bitter |
Give up | accept; dissatisfied |
Satisfied | checked; Don't worry; Emotionless |
reverent | shows deep respect and appreciation |
Just | morally correct and fair; innocent; religious; fear of god |
bite | critical; Combustion; merciless; hard |
despicable | express contempt or mockery; bluntly; despicable |
Sentimental | thinking about feelings, especially when reminiscing about the past |
Sincerely | honest; TRUE; Serious |
Solemnly | this is not fun; seriously; serious |
Taken into account | taken into account; serious; absorbed |
Tolerant | open minded; charitable; patient; legal; indulgent |
Tragic | catastrophic; catastrophic |
Modesto | modest; modest; Happy |
Difficult | concerned; uncomfortable; turned up; high tense |
Virtuoso | legal; just; Moral; Challenge |
wunderlich | picturesque; playful; harmful; eccentric |
Intelligent | intelligent; intelligent; Fun |
Wunder | concerned; admiring fascinating |
concerned | fearful; stressed; fearful |
Tom's Words: Final Thoughts
Introductory words help convey your attitude towards a topic. The tone may change as you work as you talk about different topics.
There are thousands of tone words you can use to express your attitude towards your work.
that follow?
reading O Grande Gatsby for class or just for fun?Then you should definitely take a look at our expert guides on the most important topics in this classic booklove and relationshipsAmoney and materialism.
I have questions about Arthur Millerthe crucible?Read our in-depth articles to learn more about itThe main themes of this workand to geta complete synopsis of all characters.
For more information about your favorite literary works, go toBox our collection of high quality book guides!
Do you have friends who also need help preparing for the test?Share this article!
Hayley Milliman
About the author
Hayley Milliman is a former teacher-turned-author blogging about education, history and technology. When she was a teacher, Hayley's students consistently scored in the 99th percentile thanks to her passion for making subjects easily digestible and accessible. In addition to her work for PrepScholar, Hayley is the author of Museum Hack's Guide to History's Fiercest Females.
Get free guides to improve your SAT/ACT
FAQs
How do you set a mood in a story? ›
- Use sensory detail. All five senses – sight, sound, touch, smell and taste – can be effective in creating a strong atmosphere. ...
- Hold an image or word in your head as you write. ...
- Inhabit your imaginary world in your daily life. ...
- Limit your imagery. ...
- Focus on the language.
- scared.
- anxious.
- excited.
- worried.
- foolish.
- smart.
- depressing.
Mood is the emotional atmosphere within the story produced by the author's use of language. Pay attention to the way the author describes the events, the setting, the way a character reacts to what is happening, and the final outcome of the conflict or resolution of the problem.
What are examples of mood? ›Mood is how the author wants the reader to feel, as a result of reading (or watching) their work. The mood of a piece might be funny, sad, creepy, cheerful, nostalgic, curious, and so on.
What to say to set the mood? ›- "I'll get the baby." ...
- "You look hot." ...
- "I'll ease all your stress later." ...
- "I'll get you another glass of wine." ...
- "I want you all to myself." ...
- "Let's go to bed early tonight." ...
- "The kids are staying at grandma's tonight."
Examples from Collins dictionaries
His moods swing alarmingly. She was obviously in a mood. The government seemed to be in tune with the popular mood. They largely misread the mood of the electorate.
- Cheerful.
- Dry.
- Assertive.
- Lighthearted.
- Regretful.
- Humorous.
- Pessimistic.
- Nostalgic.
Tone often describes the writing overall, but the mood of a piece of writing can change throughout it. For example, at the death of a character the mood could be depressed or sad, but at the discovery of a long lost friend, the mood could be upbeat and joyful.
What is tone in writing 5 points? ›Tone is the way that you say something in a piece of writing. What the author feels about the subject is often defined as the tone. What the reader feels because of this tone is known as the mood.
How do authors set the mood? ›Authors can generate a story's mood through different techniques—all of which are done through the use of language, of course. Setting, imagery, character reactions, and conflict outcomes can all affect the mood of a story.
What does it mean to set a mood? ›
to set the mood: to create the ambiance, the atmosphere. idiom.
What sets the mood of a scene? ›How you describe a scene, and what your point of view character notices, sets the tone of the scene. Generic words that apply to any situation do little to create a mood. Common or clichéd words and imagery give the sense that readers have seen this before, so they know how it's likely to play out.
How do you set the mood in creative writing? ›- Explore Theme. What's the theme of your novel? ...
- Use the Setting. Setting can set the mood. ...
- Choose the Right Language. The choice of words you use make a huge impact on how the reader feels about the characters and each scene. ...
- Set the Pace.