6.2 Language: Tone & Voice
Tone deals with your overall attitude toward the information you communicate. For most business communications, strive for a professional, engaged, serious tone. Note that serious does not mean ponderous – it simply means that you should use neutral language that’s clear and direct. Purdue University has an informative section about Tone in Business Writing, which includes explanations and examples.
Voice reveals your personality. Your voice can be impersonal or personal, authoritative or reflective, objective or passionate, serious, or funny. As you consider style when you revise, identify an adjective that you think best describes your voice, and ask yourself if this is appropriate for your writing context, purpose, and audience.
Word choice also helps to create style. Most communicators strive to be concise. precise, and plain, weeding out unnecessary and overly embellished words and choosing the exact words to convey meaning. Precise words—active verbs, concrete nouns, specific adjectives—help your readers understand your sentences. No matter what style is appropriate, formal or informal, serious or humorous, clarity, precision, and plainness are goals to strive for in terms of style for professional communications, especially in Western cultures.
Exercises
Which statement is easier to understand?
- Your order has been received and will ship shortly.
- Your order, number 1234, was received on August 1st and ships on August 5th. You should receive it by August 8th.
- I have the skill to greet many customers while attending a multi-line phone.
- I greet on average 25 customers an hour, while managing incoming phone lines for six district managers.
When you consider word choice, ask yourself if your words convey your main ideas clearly, and if you are using language that can be understood by your audience. Word selection and phrasing lead to successfully transferring meaning from the sender to the receiver. Doing this well enhances your reputation as a communicator.
This section is adapted from “Style: Formality, Tone & Voice, Word Choice” in Communications for Professionals by Susan Oaks licensed under CC BY-NC: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International, except where otherwise noted.
