Difference Between Diction and Tone

Diction vs Tone

Diction and tone can be simply differentiated in general terms as the way or style of speech of a person and the different pitches expressed due to the different emotions being experienced by him during speaking.

Diction
Primarily, diction is referred to in two different ways. The first one refers to the distinctive style of speech or expression of a person in speaking or writing. It includes the vocabulary and the choice of words used by a person while reading or writing.
The second use refers to the way a person pronounces words, the tone used, and the way he pauses, etc., while speaking. It is more related to a person’s speech than the way of writing.

Diction has eight different elements; verb, noun, phoneme, syllable, connective, inflection, conjunction, and utterance. Diction is very important in speech as it can define whether the speech or way of writing is informal or formal.

Diction is usually the signature of a writer or orator. It becomes like the unique fingerprint, one page of a particular writer’s work with which one is able to identify the writer. It also sets the standard or quality of their writing.

Tone
Tone is the way in which a writer or speaker communicates the attitude for or feelings of a character he is writing about or speaking about. It also refers to the pitch used in a language. There are many languages, like Mandarin, which utilize many different tones. In these languages the different tones of the same word changes the meaning. These are called tonal languages. Some tonal languages are Somali and Japanese. Somali has just one tone per word. Similarly, Japanese is also considered a tonal language because of the low and high pitches or tones.

In other modern languages, tones are used to emphasize a particular mood. If someone is angry, sad, in pain, or happy, the tone of the person used is different. The same sentence spoken can mean something else when one is in pain or one is happy.

Summary:
Diction has two different uses. The distinctive style used by a writer or speaker is called diction. It includes vocabulary and the choice of words used to express emotions. The second use is the way the words are pronounced, the tone of the person, and the way he pauses while talking. Tone, however, refers to the pitch of the person. It is the way in which the writer communicates the feelings or attitudes of a character.
Some languages are called tonal languages which have different tones of the same word and it changes its meaning. However, diction never changes the meaning of the word no matter how it is spoken.
The diction of a particular writer is like his fingerprint or signature which is unique whereas tone is general. it cannot be unique to a person. It is only unique to a language.

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