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Words With Ll In Them

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In writing, an author's tone is his or her general attitude or feelings about the work's subject matter and audience. Tone words are used to help express that attitude.

In this article, we'll talk about what tone words are, analyze their use in several examples, and give a list of tone words with definitions that you can use in your writing.

What Are Tone Words?

Authors convey tone through diction (word choice), viewpoint, and syntax. Tone words are specific words that help express an author's attitude about the subject matter.

Words typically have a positive, negative, or neutral connotation. Tone words help authors show whether they feel positively, negatively, or neutrally about what they're writing about.

Here are some examples of tone words in action:

  • The proposal is so absurd that it can't possibly be taken seriously.

The tone word "absurd" indicates that the writer finds the proposal ridiculous or silly.

  • The politician's speech was eloquent.

The tone word "eloquent" has a positive connotation, which indicates that the author found the speech articulate and persuasive.

Tone vs Voice

Many writers confuse tone and voice or use the two terms interchangeably. In fact, they're very different.

As we've already discussed, tone indicates an author or character's attitude towards a certain topic or situation. In nonfiction, tone words indicate what the author thinks. In fiction, tone words can help to set the mood, showing whether a particular situation or interaction is tense, happy, sad, etc.

Voice, on the other hand, refers to the overall personality of a work. An author's voice may be sarcastic, informative, friendly, or something else entirely.

You can remember the difference this way: tone changes all the time. Voice refers to the character that a piece has throughout. Tone can change from sentence to sentence, while voice stays consistent.

Here's an example:

In a young adult novel, the author has a casual voice. She doesn't use a particularly complex vocabulary and her writing is very approachable. Within the story, the character experiences conflict and triumph. In the scenes where there is conflict, the tone words indicate tension. In the scenes where there is triumph, tone words indicate joy.

The author's overall type of word choice and approach to writing will remain the same throughout the work, but the specific words she uses will change as she describes different situations.

Put another way: voice is how readers recognize you, the author, in your work. Voice is personal to each author and lasts throughout a piece. Tone words, on the other hand, indicate the author's (or character's) reactions to or opinions of events that are happening. As different events happen, the tone shifts.

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How to Find the Right Tone for Your Work

To find the right tone for your work, you need to consider your audience and message.

Start by asking yourself these three questions:

  1. Who am I writing this piece for?
  2. What am I trying to tell my reader?
  3. How do I want my reader to feel?

Your audience will dictate the types of words you choose. If you're writing for an academic audience, you may use more complicated language than if you're writing for kids. You also want to consider what you're telling your reader. Do you want them to walk away with a positive or negative opinion of what you're presenting? How do you want them to feel about the information you're giving?

These questions will help you decide what words to use in your work.

Tone Word Example Analysis

Let's take a look at two examples of tone words in classic literature.

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway

"It was very late and everyone had left the cafe except an old man who sat in the shadow the leaves of the tree made against the electric light. In the day time the street was dusty, but at night the dew settled the dust and the old man liked to sit late because he was deaf and now at night it was quiet and he felt the difference."

This excerpt demonstrates a calm, peaceful tone. Words like "settled" and "quiet" indicate the old man is relaxed and feeling safe.

The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe

"I gasped for breath, and yet the officers heard it not. I talked more quickly, more vehemently but the noise steadily increased. I arose and argued about trifles, in a high key and with violent gesticulations; but the noise steadily increased. Why WOULD they not be gone? I paced the floor to and fro with heavy strides, as if excited to fury by the observations of the men, but the noise steadily increased. O God! What COULD I do? I foamed -- I raved -- I swore!"

This passage from The Tell-Tale Heart indicates a nervous, anxious tone. The phrases "violent gesticulations" and "heavy strides" display the rising action and contribute to the feeling of intensity.

The Ultimate List of Tone Words

These tone words will help establish the tone in your work.

Tone Word

Meaning

Abashed

ashamed or embarrassed; also, disconcerted

Absurd

ridiculous; silly.

Accusatory

a tone of accusation; to accuse of a crime or offense

Admonishing

cautioning, reproving or scolding; especially in a mild and good-willed manner; reminding.

Adoring

to regard with esteem, love, and respect; honor

Amused

pleasurably entertained, occupied, or diverted.

Apathetic

having or showing little or no emotion; indifferent or unresponsive.

Benevolent

characterized by or expressing goodwill or kindly feelings.

Bewildered

completely puzzled or confused; perplexed.

Biting

sarcastic, having a biting or sarcastic tone.

Bitter

characterized by intense antagonism or hostility.

Blunt

abrupt in manner; obtuse.

Bold

not hesitating or fearful in the face of danger or rebuff; courageous and daring.

Brusque

abrupt in manner; blunt; rough.

Calm

free from excitement or passion; tranquil.

Candid

frank; outspoken

Cheery

in good spirits.

Churlish

critical or harsh in a mean-spirited way.

Comic

funny; humorous.

Commanding

imposing; having an air of superiority.

Conceited

having an excessively favorable opinion of one's self or abilities.

Contentious

argumentative, quarrelsome.

Curt

rudely brief in speech or abrupt

Desperate

having an urgent need, desire.

Detached

impartial or objective; disinterested; unbiased/ not concerned; aloof.

Diabolic

devilish; fiendish; outrageously wicked.

Disbelieving

to have no belief in; refuse or reject belief in.

Disdainful

expressing contempt or disdain.

Disgusted

to excite nausea or loathing in. To offend the taste or moral sense of.

Disrespectful

showing a lack of respect; rude and discourteous.

Disturbed

marked by symptoms of mental illness.

Doubtful

uncertain outcome or result.

Dramatic

of or pertaining to drama; excessively confrontational.

Dreary

causing sadness or gloom.

Earnest

serious in intention or sincerely zealous.

Ebullient

overflowing with enthusiasm, or excitement; high-spirited.

Ecstatic

in a state of ecstasy; rapturous.

Effusive

unreserved or unduly demonstrative.

Egotistical

vain; boastful; indifferent to the well-being of others; selfish.

Elated

very happy or proud; jubilant; in high spirits.

Embarrassed

to feel self-conscious or ill at ease.

Enraged

to make extremely angry; put into a rage; infuriate.

Enthusiastic

excited; energetic

Evasive

ambiguous; cryptic; unclear

Excited

emotionally aroused; stirred

Facetious

inappropriate; flippant

Flippant

superficial; glib; shallow; thoughtless; frivolous

Forceful

powerful; energetic; confident; assertive

Formal

respectful; stilted; factual; following accepted styles/rules

Frank

honest; direct; plain; matter-of-fact

Frustrated

annoyed; discouraged

Gentle

kind; considerate; mild; soft

Ghoulish

delighting in the revolting or the loathsome

Grim

serious; gloomy; depressing; lacking humour;macabre

Gullible

naïve; innocent; ignorant

Hard

unfeeling; hard-hearted; unyielding

Humble

deferential; modest

Humorous

amusing; entertaining; playful

Hypercritical

unreasonably critical; hair splitting; nitpicking

Impartial

unbiased; neutral; objective

Impassioned

filled with emotion; ardent

Imploring

pleading; begging

Impressionable

trusting; child-like

Inane

silly; foolish; stupid; nonsensical

Incensed

enraged

Incredulous

disbelieving; unconvinced; questioning; suspicious

Indignant

annoyed; angry; dissatisfied

Informative

instructive; factual; educational

Inspirational

encouraging; reassuring

Intense

earnest; passionate; concentrated; deeply felt

Intimate

familiar; informal; confidential; confessional

Ironic

the opposite of what is meant

Irreverent

lacking respect for things that are generally taken seriously

Jaded

bored; having had too much of the same thing; lack enthusiasm

Joyful

positive; optimistic; cheerful; elated

Judgmental

critical; finding fault; disparaging

Light-Hearted

carefree; relaxed; chatty; humorous

Loving

affectionate; showing intense, deep concern

Macabre

gruesome; horrifying; frightening

Malicious

desiring to harm others or to see others suffer; ill-willed; spiteful

Mean-Spirited

inconsiderate; unsympathetic

Mocking

scornful; ridiculing; making fun of someone

Mourning

grieving; lamenting; woeful

Naïve

innocent; unsophisticated; immature

Narcissistic

self-admiring; selfish; boastful; self-pitying

Nasty

unpleasant; unkind; disagreeable; abusive

Negative

unhappy, pessimistic

Nostalgic

thinking about the past; wishing for something from the past

Objective

without prejudice; without discrimination; fair; based on fact

Optimistic

hopeful; cheerful

Outraged

angered and resentful; furious; extremely angered

Outspoken

frank; candid; spoken without reserve

Pathetic

expressing pity, sympathy, tenderness

Patronizing

condescending; scornful; pompous

Pensive

reflective; introspective; philosophical; contemplative

Persuasive

convincing; eloquent; influential; plausible

Pessimistic

seeing the negative side of things

Philosophical

theoretical; analytical; rational; logical

Playful

full of fun and good spirits; humorous; jesting

Pragmatic

realistic; sensible

Pretentious

affected; artificial; grandiose; rhetorical; flashy

Regretful

apologetic; remorseful

Resentful

aggrieved; offended; displeased; bitter

Resigned

accepting; unhappy

Restrained

controlled; quiet; unemotional

Reverent

showing deep respect and esteem

Righteous

morally right and just; guiltless; pious; god-fearing

Scathing

critical; stinging; unsparing; harsh

Scornful

expressing contempt or derision; scathing; dismissive

Sentimental

thinking about feelings, especially when remembering the past

Sincere

honest; truthful; earnest

Solemn

not funny; in earnest; serious

Thoughtful

reflective; serious; absorbed

Tolerant

open-minded; charitable; patient; sympathetic; lenient

Tragic

disastrous; calamitous

Unassuming

modest; self-effacing; restrained

Uneasy

worried; uncomfortable; edgy; nervous

Virtuous

lawful; righteous; moral; upstanding

Whimsical

quaint; playful; mischievous; offbeat

Witty

clever; quick-witted; entertaining

Wonder

awe-struck; admiring; fascinating

Worried

anxious; stressed; fearful

Tone Words: Final Thoughts

Tone words help you convey your attitude towards a subject. Tone can change throughout your work as you talk about different topics.

There are thousands of tone words you can use to express your attitude in your work.

What's Next?

Reading The Great Gatsby for class or even just for fun?Then you'll definitely want to check out our expert guides on the biggest themes in this classic book, from love and relationships to money and materialism.

Got questions about Arthur Miller's The Crucible ? Read our in-depth articles to learn about the most important themes in this play and to geta complete rundown of all the characters.

For more information on your favorite works of literature, take a look at our collection of high-quality book guides !

Have friends who also need help with test prep? Share this article!

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About the Author

Hayley Milliman is a former teacher turned writer who blogs about education, history, and technology. When she was a teacher, Hayley's students regularly scored in the 99th percentile thanks to her passion for making topics digestible and accessible. In addition to her work for PrepScholar, Hayley is the author of Museum Hack's Guide to History's Fiercest Females.

Words With Ll In Them

Source: https://blog.prepscholar.com/list-of-tone-words

Posted by: smithsichim.blogspot.com

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