Dear Jacquelyn,

How important is our tone of voice when speaking and why does it matter?

Dear Reader,

We’ve all heard the saying, “It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.”

The tone of your voice can be positive or negative, and it can convey emotions such as happiness, sadness, anger, frustration and more.

It’s important to be aware of the tone of your voice when communicating with others because it can affect how they interpret your message.

Your tone of voice is made up of several factors, which include volume, pace, pitch and inflection.

It is easy to imagine how volume can affect the way in which people interpret what you are saying. Imagine how differently a conversation may proceed if you were to yell everything or if you were to whisper it.

Another major factor of tone is how quickly you speak. Speaking slowly can help to communicate your message clearly. Speaking too slowly may seem demeaning and offensive. If you speak too fast, it may appear aggressive or even be difficult to understand.

Your pitch is how high or low your voice sounds, as well as how it fluctuates during communication. A high-pitched voice can sound uncertain. A low-pitched voice generally is interpreted as serious and authoritative.

Inflection is the change in pitch or loudness of the voice. This can be caused by the emotion that shows in your voice. It will contribute to other people’s understanding of what you are saying.

While what you say matters, how you say it truly does make a big difference.

Respectfully Yours,

Jacquelyn

Have a question? Email: jacquelyn@ptd.net. Jacquelyn Youst is owner of the Pennsylvania Academy of Protocol, specializing in etiquette training.

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&Copy; 2023 Jacquelyn Youst