Voice vs. Tone

Have you ever thought about these two confusing words? Do you wanna learn more about them? Well, I'm always here to teach you new things, remember?

What Is Their Main Difference?

Both refer to the manner in which we say or write a text. However, 'voice' is about the writer's viewpoint towards the subject, whereas, 'tone' reflects the emotional state of the writer. The voice of a text can be 'humorous', 'witty', 'sarcastic', etc.

Differences

We can say that 'voice' is the attitude towards what we are saying/writing, whereas, 'tone' indicates the emotional state of the writer or the speaker. The following examples show different types of 'voice'. Look:

Hey, what's up dude? (friendly)

I was told you wanted to inform me about the new invitation. (formal)

Below, we have one sentence with different tones. Pay attention to punctuation, emojis, etc. Try to read it with the tone in the front in your mind. Look:

Sit down. (neutral)

SIT DOWN! (furious)

Similarities

Both refer to the manner in which we say or write something. Look below:

Deliver the confidential documents at exactly 6 p.m. ( imperative and straightforward voice)

Don't you wanna join us? :) (friendly tone)

Are They Interchangeable?

Most native speakers use these two interchangeably because they are extremely close to each other. However, if you want to analyze a text/speech, it is better to know their differences.

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