What does tone mean?
Word: Tone
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Tone means the sound of a voice or a musical instrument, for example how soft, warm or sharp it is. It can also mean a lighter or darker version of a colour.
How do you spell tone?
Syllables: tone
Tricky part: The silent e at the end is easy to forget, because nothing in the sound tells you it is there.
Watch out for: toen, tonn
Memory tip: Without the e at the end, the word turns into ton, a measure of weight, so the quiet e has a real job to do.
Tone in a sentence
Example 1: Grandpa's old radio still has a warm, clear tone.
Example 2: The teacher spoke in a calm tone, and the noisy class went quiet.
Example 3: Priya painted the evening sky in a soft orange tone.
Fun Fact
The word goes back to the Greek tonos, which first meant a stretching or tightening, as of a string on an instrument.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
toane
a) a
b) t
c) n
d) o
Show answer
a) a. Bone and phone follow the same pattern: one vowel, then a consonant, then a silent e.
Word Makeup
Choose the prefix that completes the word:
____tone
a) mone
b) monu
c) mona
d) mono
Show answer
d) mono. Mono means one, so the new word describes a voice that stays on one flat note.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) chorus
b) rythm
c) melody
d) tone
Show answer
b) rythm. Rhythm hides an h after the r as well as after the t.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word:
tone
a) size
b) shade
c) shape
d) speed
Show answer
b) shade. A tone of a colour is a shade of it, such as a pale or a deep blue; size, shape and speed are not kinds of tone.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. The flute and the violin played the same note, yet each had its own tone. What was different?
a) the number of players
b) the length of the song
c) the name of the note
d) the kind of sound each made
Show answer
d) the kind of sound each made
2. Riya used a polite tone when she asked the librarian for help. What does this tell us?
a) she asked twice
b) she spoke with good manners
c) she wrote a note
d) she spoke very fast
Show answer
b) she spoke with good manners
