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In writing, an author’s tone is his or her general attitude or feelings about the work’s subject matter and audience. Tone words are used to help express that attitude.

In this article, we’ll talk about what tone words are, analyze their use in several examples, and give a list of tone words with definitions that you can use in your writing.

What Are Tone Words?

Authors convey tone through diction (word choice), viewpoint, and syntax. Tone words are specific words that help express an author’s attitude about the subject matter.

Words typically have a positive, negative, or neutral connotation. Tone words help authors show whether they feel positively, negatively, or neutrally about what they’re writing about.

Here are some examples of tone words in action:

• The proposal is so absurd that it can’t possibly be taken seriously.

The tone word “absurd” indicates that the writer finds the proposal ridiculous or silly.

• The politician’s speech was eloquent.

The tone word “eloquent” has a positive connotation, which indicates that the author found the speech articulate and persuasive.

Tone vs Voice

Many writers confuse tone and voice or use the two terms interchangeably. In fact, they’re very different.

As we’ve already discussed, tone indicates an author or character’s attitude towards a certain topic or situation. In nonfiction, tone words indicate what the author thinks. In fiction, tone words can help to set the mood, showing whether a particular situation or interaction is tense, happy, sad, etc.

Voice, on the other hand, refers to the overall personality of a work. An author’s voice may be sarcastic, informative, friendly, or something else entirely.

You can remember the difference this way: tone changes all the time. Voice refers to the character that a piece has throughout. Tone can change from sentence to sentence, while voice stays consistent.

Here’s an example:

In a young adult novel, the author has a casual voice. She doesn’t use a particularly complex vocabulary and her writing is very approachable. Within the story, the character experiences conflict and triumph. In the scenes where there is conflict, the tone words indicate tension. In the scenes where there is triumph, tone words indicate joy.

The author’s overall type of word choice and approach to writing will remain the same throughout the work, but the specific words she uses will change as she describes different situations.

Put another way: voice is how readers recognize you, the author, in your work. Voice is personal to each author and lasts throughout a piece. Tone words, on the other hand, indicate the author's (or character's) reactions to or opinions of events that are happening. As different events happen, the tone shifts.

How to Find the Right Tone for Your Work

To find the right tone for your work, you need to consider your audience and message.

Start by asking yourself these three questions:

1. Who am I writing this piece for?
2. What am I trying to tell my reader?
3. How do I want my reader to feel?

Your audience will dictate the types of words you choose. If you’re writing for an academic audience, you may use more complicated language than if you’re writing for kids. You also want to consider what you're telling your reader. Do you want them to walk away with a positive or negative opinion of what you're presenting? How do you want them to feel about the information you're giving?

These questions will help you decide what words to use in your work.

Tone Word Example Analysis

Let’s take a look at two examples of tone words in classic literature.

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway

“It was very late and everyone had left the cafe except an old man who sat in the shadow the leaves of the tree made against the electric light. In the day time the street was dusty, but at night the dew settled the dust and the old man liked to sit late because he was deaf and now at night it was quiet and he felt the difference.”

This excerpt demonstrates a calm, peaceful tone. Words like “settled” and “quiet” indicate the old man is relaxed and feeling safe.

The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe

“I gasped for breath, and yet the officers heard it not. I talked more quickly, more vehemently but the noise steadily increased. I arose and argued about trifles, in a high key and with violent gesticulations; but the noise steadily increased. Why WOULD they not be gone? I paced the floor to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited to fury by the observations of the men, but the noise steadily increased. O God! What COULD I do? I foamed -- I raved -- I swore!”

This passage from The Tell-Tale Heart indicates a nervous, anxious tone. The phrases “violent gesticulations” and “heavy strides” display the rising action and contribute to the feeling of intensity.

The Ultimate List of Tone Words

These tone words will help establish the tone in your work.

Tone Words: Final Thoughts

Tone words help you convey your attitude towards a subject. Tone can change throughout your work as you talk about different topics.

There are thousands of tone words you can use to express your attitude in your work.

What’s Next?

Reading The Great Gatsby for class or even just for fun? Then you'll definitely want to check out our expert guides on the biggest themes in this classic book, from love and relationships to money and materialism.

Got questions about Arthur Miller's The Crucible? Read our in-depth articles to learn about the most important themes in this play and to get a complete rundown of all the characters.

For more information on your favorite works of literature, take a look at our collection of high-quality book guides!