Tone and Voice

Tone is a complex notion. The tone of a piece of writing is determined by your attitude and expectations, your choice of words, their force and flow. Tone in writing may be effectively compared to tone of voice when speaking.

The related notion of voice denotes your personality on the page or screen. Do you treat the reader as an equal, or in effect lord it over the reader that you are someone in the know? Do you come across as overly chatty and too easily familiar with the reader, or do you keep a reserved and respectful distance?

In assessing the quality of tone and voice in a piece of writing, there are three considerations: your sense of yourself, or the voice you want to present to the reader; your attitude toward the subject you are writing about; and the reader's expectations.

Your sense of yourself

Just as you can tell how a speaker regards himself or herself by a tone of voice or the kind of language used, so the manner of your writing suggests your attitude toward yourself. If you are well educated and assertive, you need to guard against an overly authoritative or condescending tone. Avoid using obscure words or pretentious vocabulary. Do not come across as regarding yourself highly and considering the reader lowly. Conversely, do not hold yourself in low regard and appear to apologize for having an idea or opinion about something. Treat the reader as your equal, as someone with whom you want to have an informed conversation on a matter of mutual interest. Aim to communicate your ideas clearly to the reader without creating either frustration or offence.

Attitude toward the subject

Your attitude toward your subject will have a bearing on the tone of your writing. For example, if you are somewhat hesitant or unsure of an argument you are making, you will tend to qualify your points: "It seems that the Riel Rebellion was not so much spurred by Métis claims for compensation but perhaps more by Riel's delusions of grandeur." Although arguments often need some qualification, you want to avoid a tentative tone. If you feel strongly about an idea or position you are taking, your feelings and convictions will show in the words you choose and the sentences you construct. You want to avoid using overly emotive language, however. Your enthusiasm for your subject needs to be manifest in your strong arguments and use of supporting evidence, and not in exaggerated expressions: "Riel was a brilliant and charismatic leader who bravely challenged the Dominion of Canada!" As you write, be aware of your attitude toward your subject and strive to maintain a controlled, reasonable, and engaged tone.

Readers' expectations

If you are writing an essay or assignment to hand in to a professor, you most likely need to maintain a formal tone. You do not want to come across as chatty and casual: "So, this guy named Hamlet just doesn't seem to be able to make up his mind." Rather, shape your sentences carefully, and choose language that is both clear and fitting: "Hamlet is plagued by indecision."

If you are writing something more personal, recounting of an experience, for example, your tone can be easygoing and colloquial: "During the Obstacle Course we really came together as a team and helped each other to succeed." Knowing the expectations of your reader will determine the tone of your writing.

Observe the differences in tone in the following passages, in which two captains discuss the idea of leadership in the military:

In paragraph A, the tone is formal and controlled. Balanced phrases contribute to the fluid formality of the prose: "born or developed"; "Time and experience"; "common sense, teamwork, and initiative." The writer makes some stylish word choices in "unanimity," "exhibit," and "buttressed." The resultant tone suggests a measured, methodical, and detached approach to the topic, which indeed is what follows in the article from which the passage was taken.

Paragraph B has a looser, informal tone, obviously evident in the phrase "hollering about like a great ape" and in the colloquial expression "not the best way to go." The outgoing personality of the writer is evident; indeed, the article from which the passage is taken is a colourful, confessional account of leadership learned on the ground.

Whether you write in the style of paragraph A or B will depend in part on your ‘personality' as a writer and the audience you are writing for. On the whole, to quote one writing authority, you should aim to establish a tone that is "cool, professional, unruffled, and firm" (Joanne Buckley, Fit to Print).