Tone vs. Tune: What's the Difference?
Edited by Aimie Carlson || By Janet White || Updated on October 18, 2023
Tone refers to a sound's quality or character, while tune is a series of musical notes that produce a melody.
Key Differences
A tone pertains to the quality or character of a sound, particularly in terms of its pitch or strength. A tune, on the other hand, is a combination of tones that create a distinct melody or song.
In music, a tone can be a single note or sound, with a specific frequency. A tune is a structured succession of these tones, often memorable and pleasing to the ear.
Tone can also refer to the manner of expression in speaking or writing, indicating emotion or attitude. A tune, in its musical context, doesn't have this linguistic or emotional connotation but is about musical arrangement.
While both tone and tune have roots in the world of sound and music, their usages diverge significantly. A speaker might adjust their tone when talking, but they wouldn't adjust their tune unless referring to music.
To simplify, think of tone as a building block—a single note, while a tune is like a constructed building—an assembly of many tones in a specific order.
ADVERTISEMENT
Comparison Chart
Primary Definition
Quality or character of a sound
Series of musical notes producing a melody
Musical Reference
A single note or sound
A structured combination of tones
Linguistic Usage
Refers to manner or mood of speech/writing
Primarily musical, less about mood or manner
Components
Singular, can be a base for others
Multiple tones combined
Flexibility
Can be about sound quality or emotional expression
Typically about a specific arrangement of notes
ADVERTISEMENT
Tone and Tune Definitions
Tone
Quality or character of a sound.
The violin produced a rich tone.
Tune
A particular pitch or tone.
His voice was in tune with the background music.
Tone
Manner of expression indicating mood or emotion.
Her tone was sarcastic.
Tune
Adjusting an engine or system for optimal performance.
The car needs a tune-up.
Tone
A shade of color.
The room was painted in muted tones.
Tune
Being in harmony or agreement.
They were in tune with each other's thoughts.
Tone
A sound of distinct pitch, quality, and duration; a note.
Tune
A melody, especially a simple and easily remembered one.
Tone
The interval of a major second in the diatonic scale; a whole step.
Tune
A song.
Tone
A recitational melody in a Gregorian chant.
Tune
The state of being in correct pitch
Sang out of tune.
Played in tune with the piano.
Tone
The quality or character of sound.
Tune
(Obsolete) A musical tone.
Tone
The characteristic quality or timbre of a particular instrument or voice.
Tune
Concord or agreement; harmony
In tune with the times.
Tone
The pitch of a word used to determine its meaning or to distinguish differences in meaning.
Tune
(Archaic) Frame of mind; disposition.
Tone
The particular or relative pitch of a word, phrase, or sentence.
Tune
(Electronics) Adjustment of a receiver or circuit for maximum response to a given signal or frequency.
Tone
Manner of expression in speech or writing
Took an angry tone with the reporters.
Tune
(Music) To put into proper pitch
Tuned the violin.
Tone
A general quality, effect, or atmosphere
A room with an elegant tone.
Tune
(Archaic) To utter musically; sing.
Tone
A color or shade of color
Light tones of blue.
Tune
To adjust (an electronic receiver) to a desired frequency.
Tone
Quality of color
The green wallpaper had a particularly somber tone.
Tune
To adjust (an electronic circuit) so as to make it resonant with a given input signal.
Tone
The general effect in painting of light, color, and shade.
Tune
To adjust (an engine, for example) for maximum usability or performance.
Tone
The normal state of elastic tension or partial contraction in resting muscles.
Tune
To adjust the wavelength output of (a laser).
Tone
Normal firmness of a tissue or an organ.
Tune
To become attuned.
Tone
To give a particular tone or inflection to.
Tune
A melody.
Tone
To soften or change the color of (a painting or photographic negative, for example).
Tune
A song, or short musical composition.
Tone
To sound monotonously; intone.
Tune
(informal) The act of tuning or maintenance.
Your engine needs a good tune.
Tone
To make firmer or stronger. Often used with up
Exercises that tone up the body.
Tune
The state or condition of being correctly tuned.
Your engine is now in tune.
This piano is not in tune.
Tone
To assume a particular color quality.
Tune
(obsolete) Temper; frame of mind.
Tone
To harmonize in color.
Tune
(obsolete) A sound; a note; a tone.
Tone
(music) A specific pitch.
Tune
(obsolete) Order; harmony; concord.
Tone
(music) (in the diatonic scale) An interval of a major second.
Tune
Used to show appreciation or approval of a song.
You heard the new Rizzle Kicks song? — Tune!
Tone
(music) (in a Gregorian chant) A recitational melody.
Tune
To adjust (a musical instrument) so that it produces the correct pitches.
To tune a piano or a violin
Tone
The character of a sound, especially the timbre of an instrument or voice.
Tune
To adjust or modify (esp. a mechanical or electrical device) so that it functions optimally.
Tuning the engine gave me an extra twenty horsepower.
Tune your mind, and anything becomes possible.
Tone
(linguistics) The pitch of a word that distinguishes a difference in meaning, for example in Chinese.
Tune
To adjust the frequency on a radio or TV set, so as to receive the desired channel.
Tune to Channel 6 for all your favourite daytime shows.
Tone
(dated) A whining style of speaking; a kind of mournful or artificial strain of voice; an affected speaking with a measured rhythm and a regular rise and fall of the voice.
Children often read with a tone.
Tune
Of faculties, senses, etc.: to adapt to or direct towards a particular target.
My ears were tuned to the sounds of the forest.
Tone
(literature) The manner in which speech or writing is expressed.
Tune
To make more precise, intense, or effective; to put into a proper state or disposition.
Tone
(obsolete) State of mind; temper; mood.
Tune
To attune; to adapt in style of music; to make harmonious.
Tone
The shade or quality of a colour.
Tune
(transitive) To give a certain tone or character to.
Tone
The favourable effect of a picture produced by the combination of light and shade, or of colours.
This picture has tone.
Tune
(obsolete) To sing with melody or harmony.
Tone
The definition and firmness of a muscle or organ; see also: tonus.
Tune
To be impudent towards; to cheek.
Are you tuning me?
Tone
(biology) The state of a living body or of any of its organs or parts in which the functions are healthy and performed with due vigor.
Tune
(fandom slang) to adjust the parameters of singing voice synthesis software such as VOCALOID (in order to achieve certain singing techniques, increase the human quality of the voice, etc.)
Tone
(biology) Normal tension or responsiveness to stimuli.
Tune
A sound; a note; a tone.
Tone
A gun
Tune
A rhythmical, melodious, symmetrical series of tones for one voice or instrument, or for any number of voices or instruments in unison, or two or more such series forming parts in harmony; a melody; an air; as, a merry tune; a mournful tune; a slow tune; a psalm tune. See Air.
Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh.
Tone
(figuratively)
Tune
Order; harmony; concord; fit disposition, temper, or humor; right mood.
A child will learn three times as much when he is in tune, as when he . . . is dragged unwillingly to [his task].
Tone
The general character, atmosphere, mood, or vibe (of a situation, place, etc.).
Her rousing speech gave an upbeat tone to the rest of the evening.
Tune
To put into a state adapted to produce the proper sounds; to harmonize, to cause to be in tune; to correct the tone of; as, to tune a piano or a violin.
Tone
(Chiefly in the form lower/raise the tone of something) The quality of being respectable or admirable.
Tune
To give tone to; to attune; to adapt in style of music; to make harmonious.
For now to sorrow must I tune my song.
Tone
(transitive) to give a particular tone to
Tune
To sing with melody or harmony.
Fountains, and ye, that warble, as ye flow,Melodious murmurs, warbling tune his praise.
Tone
(transitive) to change the colour of
Tune
To put into a proper state or disposition.
Tone
(transitive) to make (something) firmer
Tune
To form one sound to another; to form accordant musical sounds.
Whilst tuning to the water's fall,The small birds sang to her.
Tone
(transitive) to utter with an affected tone.
Tune
To utter inarticulate harmony with the voice; to sing without pronouncing words; to hum.
Tone
The one (of two)
Tune
A succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence;
She was humming an air from Beethoven
Tone
Sound, or the character of a sound, or a sound considered as of this or that character; as, a low, high, loud, grave, acute, sweet, or harsh tone.
[Harmony divine] smooths her charming tones.
Tones that with seraph hymns might blend.
Tune
The property of producing accurately a note of a given pitch;
He cannot sing in tune
The clarinet was out of tune
Tone
Accent, or inflection or modulation of the voice, as adapted to express emotion or passion.
Eager his tone, and ardent were his eyes.
Tune
The adjustment of a radio receiver or other circuit to a required frequency
Tone
A whining style of speaking; a kind of mournful or artificial strain of voice; an affected speaking with a measured rhythm ahd a regular rise and fall of the voice; as, children often read with a tone.
Tune
Adjust for (better) functioning;
Tune the engine
Tone
A sound considered as to pitch; as, the seven tones of the octave; she has good high tones.
Tune
Of musical instruments;
My piano needs to be tuned
Tone
That state of a body, or of any of its organs or parts, in which the animal functions are healthy and performed with due vigor.
Tune
A melody or song.
I can't get that tune out of my head.
Tone
Tonicity; as, arterial tone.
Tune
Adjusting a musical instrument for correct pitch.
He tuned his guitar before the concert.
Tone
State of mind; temper; mood.
The strange situation I am in and the melancholy state of public affairs, . . . drag the mind down . . . from a philosophical tone or temper, to the drudgery of private and public business.
Their tone was dissatisfied, almost menacing.
Tone
Tenor; character; spirit; drift; as, the tone of his remarks was commendatory.
Tone
General or prevailing character or style, as of morals, manners, or sentiment, in reference to a scale of high and low; as, a low tone of morals; a tone of elevated sentiment; a courtly tone of manners.
Tone
The general effect of a picture produced by the combination of light and shade, together with color in the case of a painting; - commonly used in a favorable sense; as, this picture has tone.
Tone
Quality, with respect to attendant feeling; the more or less variable complex of emotion accompanying and characterizing a sensation or a conceptual state; as, feeling tone; color tone.
Tone
Color quality proper; - called also hue. Also, a gradation of color, either a hue, or a tint or shade.
She was dressed in a soft cloth of a gray tone.
Tone
The condition of normal balance of a healthy plant in its relations to light, heat, and moisture.
Tone
To utter with an affected tone.
Tone
To bring, as a print, to a certain required shade of color, as by chemical treatment.
Its thousand hues toned down harmoniusly.
The best method for the purpose in hand was to employ some one of a character and position suited to get possession of their confidence, and then use it to tone down their religious strictures.
Tone
The quality of a person's voice;
He began in a conversational tone
He spoke in a nervous tone of voice
Tone
(linguistics) a pitch or change in pitch of the voice that serves to distinguish words in tonal languages;
The Beijing dialect uses four tones
Tone
(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
Tone
The general atmosphere of a place or situation and the effect that it has on people;
The feel of the city excited him
A clergyman improved the tone of the meeting
It had the smell of treason
Tone
A quality of a given color that differs slightly from a primary color;
After several trials he mixed the shade of pink that she wanted
Tone
A notation representing the pitch and duration of a musical sound;
The singer held the note too long
Tone
A steady sound without overtones;
They tested his hearing with pure tones of different frequencies
Tone
The elastic tension of living muscles, arteries, etc. that facilitate response to stimuli;
The doctor tested my tonicity
Tone
A musical interval of two semitones
Tone
The quality of something (an act or a piece of writing) that reveals the attitudes and presuppositions of the author;
The general tone of articles appearing in the newspapers is that the government should withdraw
From the tone of her behavior I gathered that I had outstayed my welcome
Tone
Utter monotonously and repetitively and rhythmically;
The students chanted the same slogan over and over again
Tone
Of one's speech, varying the pitch
Tone
Change the color or tone of;
Tone a negative
Tone
Change to a color image;
Tone a photographic image
Tone
Give a healthy elasticity to;
Let's tone our muscles
Tone
A musical sound with reference to its pitch and quality.
She hit the right tone on the piano.
Tone
General character or attitude.
The tone of the meeting was positive.
FAQs
Can "tune" be about agreement?
Yes, as in "in tune with someone's feelings".
Are "tone" and "tune" interchangeable?
Not usually, as "tone" refers to sound quality while "tune" is about melody.
Is a "tune" always musical?
Primarily, but it can also refer to adjusting things for optimal performance, like a car.
Which is more about emotional expression?
"Tone" often pertains to emotional or attitudinal expression.
Is "tune" about adjustment?
It can be, as in "tuning a guitar" or "tune-up a car".
Is "tune" always pleasing?
Not always, a tune can be annoying if repetitive or dissonant.
Does "tone" only pertain to music?
No, it can also refer to the manner or mood of speech and writing.
Can "tone" refer to color?
Yes, it can indicate a shade or quality of color.
Can a song have multiple "tones"?
Yes, a song will have various tones contributing to its melody.
Is a "catchy tune" popular?
Often, yes. It means a melody that's easily remembered and liked.
Is "tune" always a full song?
Not necessarily; it can be a short melody or theme.
Which word is more specific in music?
"Tune" is more specific, often referring to a distinct melody.
Can "tone" indicate attitude?
Yes, as in "a stern tone of voice".
Can "tone" be neutral?
Yes, in speech or writing, a neutral tone lacks evident emotion.
Can "tone" indicate health or fitness?
Yes, as in "toned muscles".
Can you "tune" an instrument to a "tone"?
Yes, instruments are often tuned to produce the correct tones.
Can "tone" refer to volume?
Not directly. It's more about quality than loudness, but loudness can affect tone perception.
Can "tone" be about voice quality?
Yes, as in "a deep tone of voice".
Is "out of tune" about being incorrect?
In music, yes. It means not being in the correct pitch. Figuratively, it can mean out of sync.
Is "tone" about strength?
It can be, especially in reference to signal strength or muscle quality.
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Edited by
Aimie CarlsonAimie Carlson, holding a master's degree in English literature, is a fervent English language enthusiast. She lends her writing talents to Difference Wiki, a prominent website that specializes in comparisons, offering readers insightful analyses that both captivate and inform.
