How to pronounce tone
Say it like TOHN. Tone is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
VoiceSpeed
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce tone. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
US American/toʊn/TOHN
UK British/təʊn/TOHN
- TOHN
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Tone pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- TOHNSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "o" in go.
American vs British pronunciation of tone
- The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh".
British respelling: TOHN.
What does tone mean?
noun
- the quality of a person's voice“he began in a conversational tone”“he spoke in a nervous tone of voice”
- (linguistics) a pitch or change in pitch of the voice that serves to distinguish words in tonal languages“the Beijing dialect uses four tones”
- (music) the distinctive property of a complex sound (a voice or noise or musical sound)“the timbre of her soprano was rich and lovely”“the muffled tones of the broken bell summoned them to meet”
- utter monotonously and repetitively and rhythmically“The students chanted the same slogan over and over again”
- vary the pitch of one's speech
- change the color or tone of“tone a negative”
Words that rhyme with tone
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of tone.
Questions about saying tone
How do you pronounce tone?
Say TOHN. The American pronunciation is /toʊn/. In British English it is /təʊn/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in tone?
Tone is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: TOHN.
Is tone pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. The long o starts further forward in British English, closer to "uh-oo" than the American "oh". The British form is /təʊn/ (TOHN).