German word

tönen

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈtøːnən/

Meaning

  • verbsound

Example

Die Glocke tönt laut.

The bell sounds loudly.

Illustration for tönen (sound)

More examples

In der Stille tönt plötzlich ein Alarm.

In the silence, an alarm suddenly rings out.

Core concept

A clear tone spreads through a space as sound or settles over something as a shade of color.

Common phrases

  • mit Hall tönt

    rings out with an echo

  • in der Stille tönt

    rings out in the silence

  • aus weiter Ferne tönt

    rings out from far away

Similar words

klingen: To have a particular sound or auditory quality when heard.
klingeln: To make repeated high-pitched sounds like a phone or doorbell.
läuten: To sound as a bell or chime for signaling.
erklingen: To suddenly become clearly audible.

Definition in German

Einen hörbaren Ton oder Klang von sich geben.

Word origin

Tönen is formed from the German noun Ton, meaning a tone or sound, with the verb-forming suffix -en.

Usage tips

  • Tönen describes the character or presence of a sound, while klingeln is more usual for a phone or bell ringing.

Other meanings

  • tintverb

Opposites

  • verstummenfall silentverb

Related words

  • der Tonsoundnoun
  • getönttintedadjective

Word lists with this word