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155 Words To Describe An
Author’s Tone

What is tone?

Tone refers to an author’s use of words

and writing style to convey his or her
attitude towards a topic. Tone is often
defined as what the author feels about
the subject. What the reader feels is
known as the mood.
Tip: Don’t confuse tone with voice.
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[Read How Do You Find Your Writing
Voice?] Voice can be explained as the
author’s personality expressed in
writing. Tone = Attitude. Voice =
Personality.

Tone (attitude) and voice (personality)

12 SHORT
create a writing style. You may not be
STORIES
able to alter your personality but you
can adjust your attitude. This gives you
ways to create writing that affects your
audience’s mood. (Click here for
examples of tone in a story.)

The mechanics of tone

Tone is conveyed through diction

(choice and use of words and phrases), ADVERTISEMENT
viewpoint, syntax (grammar; how you
put words and phrases together), and
level of formality. It is the way you RECENT POSTS
express yourself in speech or writing.
12 Short Stories –
Calendar For
How do you find the correct
February
tone?
How Do You Come

You can usually find a tone by asking To Story?

Do You Have A
these three questions:
Romance Novel In
You?
1. Why am I writing this? 28 Writing Prompts
2. Who is my intended audience? For February 2018
3. What do I want the reader to learn, Punctuation For
understand, or think about? Beginners: All About
In formal writing, your tone should be Question &
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clear, concise, confident, and Exclamation Marks
courteous. The writing level should be 3 Fabulous Free
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sophisticated, but not pretentious.
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Writing Courses In
In creative writing, your tone is more February 2018
subjective, but you should always aim Back To Basics: 3
to communicate clearly. Genre Steps To Setting
sometimes determines the tone. The Bridge – Submit
Your First Short Story
For 2018 Today
Punctuation For
Beginners: All About
Commas

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155 Words To
Describe An Author’s
Tone
123 Ideas For
Character Flaws
     Tone      Meaning
45 Ways To Avoid

Absurd Usingfoolish
illogical; ridiculous; silly; implausible; The Word
‘Very’
Accusatory suggesting someone has done something wrong, complaining
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Acerbic sharp; forthright; biting; hurtful; abrasive; severe
Writing Body
Admiring approving; think highly of; respectful; praising
Language
Aggressive hostile; determined; forceful; argumentative
30 Examples To Help
Aggrieved indignant; annoyed; offended; disgruntled
You Master Concord
Ambivalent having mixed feelings; uncertain;17
in aOf
dilemma; undecided
The Most
Amused entertained; diverted; pleased Powerful Excerpts
Angry incensed or enraged; threatening or menacing
From Poetry
Animated full of life or excitement; lively; spirited;
37 Ways impassioned;
To Write vibrant
Apathetic Aboutindifferent;
showing little interest; lacking concern; Anger unemotional
Apologetic full of regret; repentant; remorseful; acknowledging failure
Appreciative Write
grateful; thankful; showing pleasure; Your Novel In A
enthusiastic
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Ardent enthusiastic; passionate Year – Week 35: 3
Arrogant pompous; disdainful; overbearing;Must-Have Scenes
condescending; vain; scoffing
That Reveal
Assertive self-confident; strong-willed; authoritative; insistent
Character
Awestruck amazed, filled with wonder/awe; reverential
Persuasive Writing –
Belligerent hostile; aggressive; combatant
Emotional vs
Benevolent sympathetic; tolerant; generous; caring; well meaning
Intellectual Words
Bitter angry; acrimonious; antagonistic; spiteful; nasty
20 Myths To Use As
Callous cruel disregard; unfeeling; uncaring; indifferent;
Writing Prompts ruthless
Candid truthful, straightforward; honest; unreserved
Caustic making biting, corrosive comments; critical
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Cautionary gives warning; raises awareness; reminding
Celebratory praising; pay tribute to; glorify; honour
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Chatty informal; lively; conversational; familiar
Colloquial familiar; everyday language; informal; colloquial; casual
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Comic humorous; witty; entertaining; diverting
Compassionate sympathetic; empathetic; warm-hearted; tolerant; kind
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Complex having many varying characteristics; complicated
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Compliant agree or obey rules; acquiescent; flexible; submissive
Concerned worried; anxious; apprehensive
Conciliatory intended to placate or pacify; appeasing
Condescending stooping to the level of one’s inferiors; patronising
Confused unable to think clearly; bewildered; vague
Contemptuous showing contempt; scornful; insolent; mocking
Critical finding fault; disapproving; scathing; criticizing
Cruel causing pain and suffering; unkind; spiteful; severe
Curious wanting to find out more; inquisitive; questioning
Cynical scornful of motives/virtues of others; mocking; sneering
Defensive defending a position; shielding; guarding; watchful
Defiant obstinate; argumentative; defiant; contentious
Demeaning disrespectful; undignified
Depressing sad, melancholic; discouraging; pessimistic
Derisive snide; sarcastic; mocking; dismissive; scornful
Detached aloof; objective; unfeeling; distant
Dignified serious; respectful; formal; proper
Diplomatic tactful; subtle; sensitive; thoughtful
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Disapproving displeased; critical; condemnatory
Disheartening discouraging; demoralising; undermining; depressing
Disparaging dismissive; critical; scornful
Direct straightforward; honest
Disappointed discouraged; unhappy because something has gone wrong
Dispassionate impartial; indifferent; unsentimental; cold; unsympathetic
Distressing heart-breaking; sad; troubling
Docile compliant; submissive; deferential; accommodating
Earnest showing deep sincerity or feeling; serious
Egotistical self-absorbed; selfish; conceited; boastful
Empathetic understanding; kind; sensitive
Encouraging optimistic; supportive
Enthusiastic excited; energetic
Evasive ambiguous; cryptic; unclear
Excited emotionally aroused; stirred
Facetious inappropriate; flippant
Farcical ludicrous; absurd; mocking; humorous and highly improbable
Flippant superficial; glib; shallow; thoughtless; frivolous
Forceful powerful; energetic; confident; assertive
Formal respectful; stilted; factual; following accepted styles/rules
Frank honest; direct; plain; matter-of-fact
Frustrated annoyed; discouraged
Gentle kind; considerate; mild; soft
Ghoulish delighting in the revolting or the loathsome
Grim serious; gloomy; depressing; lacking humour;macabre
Gullible naïve; innocent; ignorant
Hard unfeeling; hard-hearted; unyielding
Humble deferential; modest
Humorous amusing; entertaining; playful
Hypercritical unreasonably critical; hair splitting; nitpicking
Impartial unbiased; neutral; objective
Impassioned filled with emotion; ardent
Imploring pleading; begging
Impressionable trusting; child-like
Inane silly; foolish; stupid; nonsensical
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Incensed enraged
Incredulous disbelieving; unconvinced; questioning; suspicious
Indignant annoyed; angry; dissatisfied
Informative instructive; factual; educational
Inspirational encouraging; reassuring
Intense earnest; passionate; concentrated; deeply felt
Intimate familiar; informal; confidential; confessional
Ironic the opposite of what is meant
Irreverent lacking respect for things that are generally taken seriously
Jaded bored; having had too much of the same thing; lack enthusiasm
Joyful positive; optimistic; cheerful; elated
Judgmental critical; finding fault; disparaging
Laudatory praising; recommending
Light-Hearted carefree; relaxed; chatty; humorous
Loving affectionate; showing intense, deep concern
Macabre gruesome; horrifying; frightening
Malicious desiring to harm others or to see others suffer; ill-willed; spiteful
Mean-Spirited inconsiderate; unsympathetic
Mocking scornful; ridiculing; making fun of someone
Mourning grieving; lamenting; woeful
Naïve innocent; unsophisticated; immature
Narcissistic self-admiring; selfish; boastful; self-pitying
Nasty unpleasant; unkind; disagreeable; abusive
Negative unhappy, pessimistic
Nostalgic thinking about the past; wishing for something from the past
Objective without prejudice; without discrimination; fair; based on fact
Obsequious overly obedient and/or submissive; fawning; grovelling
Optimistic hopeful; cheerful
Outraged angered and resentful; furious; extremely angered
Outspoken frank; candid; spoken without reserve
Pathetic expressing pity, sympathy, tenderness
Patronising condescending; scornful; pompous
Pensive reflective; introspective; philosophical; contemplative
Persuasive convincing; eloquent; influential; plausible
Pessimistic seeing the negative side of things
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Philosophical theoretical; analytical; rational; logical
Playful full of fun and good spirits; humorous; jesting
Pragmatic realistic; sensible
Pretentious affected; artificial; grandiose; rhetorical; flashy
Regretful apologetic; remorseful
Resentful aggrieved; offended; displeased; bitter
Resigned accepting; unhappy
Restrained controlled; quiet; unemotional
Reverent showing deep respect and esteem
Righteous morally right and just; guiltless; pious; god-fearing
Satirical making fun to show a weakness; ridiculing; derisive
Sarcastic scornful; mocking; ridiculing
Scathing critical; stinging; unsparing; harsh
Scornful expressing contempt or derision; scathing; dismissive
Sensationalistic provocative; inaccurate; distasteful
Sentimental thinking about feelings, especially when remembering the past
Sincere honest; truthful; earnest
Sceptical disbelieving; unconvinced; doubting
Solemn not funny; in earnest; serious
Subjective prejudiced; biased
Submissive compliant; passive; accommodating; obedient
Sulking bad-tempered; grumpy; resentful; sullen
Sympathetic compassionate; understanding of how someone feels
Thoughtful reflective; serious; absorbed
Tolerant open-minded; charitable; patient; sympathetic; lenient
Tragic disastrous; calamitous
Unassuming modest; self-effacing; restrained
Uneasy worried; uncomfortable; edgy; nervous
Urgent insistent; saying something must be done soon
Vindictive vengeful; spiteful; bitter; unforgiving
Virtuous lawful; righteous; moral; upstanding
Whimsical quaint; playful; mischievous; offbeat
Witty clever; quick-witted; entertaining
Wonder awe-struck; admiring; fascinating
World-Weary bored; cynical; tired
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Worried anxious; stressed; fearful
Wretched miserable; despairing; sorrowful; distressed

Helpful Tip: Finding the correct tone is

a matter of practice. Try to write for
different audiences. Even if you only
want to write novels, it is an
apprenticeship of sorts. Write press
releases. Write opinion pieces. Write
interviews. Write copy. Write a business
plan.

The more you write, the better you will

become at infusing your work with the
nuances needed to create the perfect
book. If you want to receive a daily
prompt, click here to join our mailing
list.

by Amanda
Patterson

© Amanda Patterson
If you enjoyed this article, you may also
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enjoy

1. 15 Questions Authors Should Ask

Characters
2. 6 Sub-Plots That Add Style To Your
Story
3. 7 Choices That Affect A Writer’s
Style
4. 5 Incredibly Simple Ways To Help
Writers Show And Not Tell
5. Cheat Sheets for Writing Body
Language

If you want to learn how to write a

book, join our Writers Write course in
Johannesburg or sign up for our online
course.

Posted on 27th June 2014 (1,860,585 views)

Explore: Style, Tone, Voice, Writing

Tips from Amanda Patterson

This article has 23

comments

Sanjeev talpade
30th June 2014
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Wow you got a good thing
going very evolved module
for writers thank you

Matti
11th May 2016

Thanks for all the wonderful

tones this really made my
class understanding way
easier when we write in
class. Thanks for your help.

Writers Write
11th May 2016

Thank you, Matti. We’re glad

this helped.

Hanna
27th May 2016

Thank you for this list!

Although I think you
misspelled skeptical as
sceptical.
Writers Write
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27th May 2016

No, we spelt it correctly. We

use British English in South
Africa.

Ucup Hermawan
1st June 2016

Your explanation is really

helpful. Now I can clearly
explain the topic to my
students. Thanks a lot

Heather Mangate
10th June 2016

Even though philosophers

have constantly argued that
perfection cannot be
reached.This is perfect.

emely
18th August 2016

Very helpful , thank you.

Laurel Christopherson
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8th September 2016

May I distribute this list to

my 10th grade English
students, as long as I give
you credit for it?

jhohn
28th September 2016

thanks

Alison
6th October 2016

Really helpful when looking

forward to character
sketches!!

Brian Cornelson
26th October 2016

Excellent resource! The book

my class is using talks about
tone and style but without
providing a vocabulary. This
site and its companion on
style are excellent; I’ve
recommended them to my
classmates.
 Home About Courses Writing A

shiku kamanu
5th November 2016

The topic on tone was

amazing.Kindly can you give
the same on attitude and
mood

Grace
16th November 2016

How To write a tone analysis

essay
Tone refers to the attitude of
a writer toward the subject
he is writing about. A writer
can convey his attitude
directly, by stating his
opinion, or indirectly,
through his choice of
vocabulary and stylistic
elements. As an essay writer,
your job consists of
investigating the purpose or
significance of the author’s
tone.

the proper student

19th December 2016
Regards to this site, it is so
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fantastic. This list of tone
words helps me ever so
graciously in my Pre-AP
Honors class. Thank you to
the genius owner of this site.

the dabster
19th December 2016

this is lit *dab inserted here*

Writers Write
19th December 2016

Thank you for the feedback,

everyone. We’re happy that
you find the list useful.

Ibrahim khalilullah
24th December 2016

Thnx fo list very helpful

Toyin Azanor
3rd January 2017
Thanks for the great info U
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share daily. I’m a
Communication Specialist
and these “Toneful”
examples are very helpful.

Grace_Dancer
12th January 2017

Thank you! I needed to find

some good tone words and
some good definitions. This
is what i was looking for!

Inga Davis
6th February 2017

Thank you! My students

really loved your list! (7/8th
graders in San Carlos CA)

Writers Write
6th February 2017

Thank you, Inga. We

appreciate the feedback.

Ian McCarthy
 16th February 2017
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This was really helpful for my
essay! Thanks guys!

Comments are now closed.

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