French Conversation · Level 122
60 words
French word
tonalité
Pronunciation
IPA/tonalite/
Meaning
- feminine nountone of voice
Example
La tonalité de sa voix était froide.
The tone of his voice was cold.
More examples
La tonalité de son courriel était trop formelle.
The tone of his email was too formal.
Core concept
The overall coloring that makes a voice or text feel welcoming, formal, ironic, or cold.
Common phrases
la tonalité d'un courriel
the tone of an email
adopter une tonalité
adopt a tone
la tonalité de la conversation
the tone of the conversation
Similar words
ton: The general tone conveyed by speech or writing.
intonation: Changes in pitch and the expressive rise and fall of the voice.
registre: The level of formality used in speech or writing.
style: The distinctive way expression is shaped and presented.
Definition in French
Façon dont une voix ou un texte se distingue par sa couleur, son registre ou sa nuance expressive.
Word origin
The word follows Italian tonalità, itself related to Latin tonus, while French -ité marks the abstract noun.
Usage tips
- Tonalité describes a voice's or text's overall manner, whereas intonation more narrowly describes changes in pitch.
Other meanings
- tonalitynoun
- timbrenoun
- huenoun
Related words
- intonationintonationnoun
- tonaltonaladjective