Spanish Conversation · Level 59
74 words
Spanish word
tono
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈtono/
Meaning
- masculine nountone
Example
Habla en un tono tranquilo.
He speaks in a calm tone.
More examples
Su tono sarcástico enfureció a todos.
His sarcastic tone angered everyone.
Core concept
Sound quality and manner of expression.
Common phrases
tono de voz
tone of voice
tono informal
informal tone
tono sarcástico
sarcastic tone
Similar words
entonación: Uses rising and falling pitch patterns to express emotion or sentence type.
registro: Marks the level of formality and word choice suited to the situation or audience.
acento: Places strong stress on a particular syllable within a word.
matiz: Adds a subtle shade of meaning or feeling to an expression or voice.
Definition in Spanish
Característica sonora o estilística, como timbre, entonación o registro, que define el carácter de una expresión.
Word origin
The word comes from Greek tonos and Latin tonus, where it named musical pitch and tension and later came to mean voice timbre and the manner or register of speech.
Usage tips
- In phrases like 'subir el tono' and 'bajar el tono', speakers often mean raising or lowering intensity or formality rather than only the literal pitch.
Other meanings
- timbrenoun
Related words
- entonaciónintonationnoun
- tonaltonaladjective