Communication skills · lesson 14 of 24 · free

Tone of voice — Communication skills for students

Tone of voice is how you sound — warm, calm, bossy, bored or rude. The same words can mean different things: “Thank you” said with a smile is kind; said with an eye-roll it is a put-down. A polite tone asks instead of ordering: “Could you please move a little?” instead of “Move. Now.” Volume is part of tone too: a soft voice in the library, a normal voice at the lunch table, and a loud, clear voice only when warning of danger or calling across a field.

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Communication tip

How you say it matters — “a warm, calm tone makes the same words kind”

  1. A polite tone: “Excuse me, may I borrow your eraser?”, “Sorry, could you say that again?”, “Please pass the salt, Didi.” A rude tone: “Give me your eraser.”, “What? Speak properly!”, “Salt. Pass it.”
  2. A soft voice: in the library, near a sleeping baby, in a hospital ward. A normal voice: at the lunch table, at a shop counter, asking Ma’am a doubt.
  3. A loud, clear voice: warning of danger, cheering at a match, calling across a field, leading the PT drill.

Use it for: Talking to elders, siblings and shopkeepers, asking for things, and when you feel annoyed.

Worked example: 🔊 Which voice fits this: in the library? → a soft voice

  1. People read and study in a library, so noise disturbs them.
  2. “in the library” needs a soft voice.

Check: Try it: say “Can you help me?” in three tones (bored, bossy, warm) to a family member and ask which one they would help ✓

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✏️ Practice

Work it out in your head or on paper, type the answer and press Check. Stuck? Press “Show me how”.

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🏁 Lesson 14 test

20 questions. Check each answer, then go to the next one. Get 16 or more right to pass.

🏅 Sign in with Google to earn the 🎵 Tone Tuner badge when you pass — and a certificate when you finish all 6 lessons of Part 3 · Speaking and body language. You can still take the test without signing in.

🖨️ Tone of Voice Worksheet

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