vocal tone — the quality, pitch, and manner of a person's voice, which often reveals their emotions, attitude, or intention
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: the quality, pitch, and manner of a person's voice, which often reveals their emotions, attitude, or intention
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈvoʊkəl toʊn/
Example Sentences
- Even robots are now programmed to adjust their vocal tone to sound friendlier.
- You could tell she was lying just from her nervous vocal tone.
- My dad's vocal tone gets scary calm right before he yells at me.
vocal tone
NOUN[/ˈvoʊkəl toʊn/]
the quality, pitch, and manner of a person's voice, which often reveals their emotions, attitude, or intention

His warm vocal tone made the bedtime story feel magical.

The baby's soft vocal tone changed as the therapist encouraged him to make different sounds.

She heard a familiar vocal tone, began to recognize the voice, and finally realized who was calling.
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Vocal derives from Latin vocalis (of the voice), itself from vox (voice). Tone comes from Greek tonos (tension, pitch). Together, vocal tone refers to the pitch, quality, and emotional character conveyed through the human voice.
Breakdown
vocal: voc- (voice) + -al (adjective suffix); tone: from Greek tonos (pitch, tension). The compound expresses how vocal quality and inflection communicate meaning and emotion.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“Even robots are now programmed to adjust their vocal tone to sound friendlier.”
“You could tell she was lying just from her nervous vocal tone.”
“My dad's vocal tone gets scary calm right before he yells at me.”
“Voice assistants analyze your vocal tone to guess how you're feeling.”
📚Related Words
Want to master 27,000+ words?
Sign up free for flashcards & quizzes.