What does "tone" in writing typically refer to?

The concept of "tone" in writing primarily pertains to the attitude or emotional quality conveyed by the writer toward the subject or the audience. It reflects the writer’s feelings, perspectives, and disposition, which can range from formal to informal, optimistic to pessimistic, serious to humorous, and so on. This attitude is expressed through various elements of the writing, including word choice, sentence structure, and overall style, but is centrally focused on how the author feels about what they are writing. Tone shapes the reader's interpretation of the text and helps to establish a connection with the audience.

In contrast, other aspects such as sentence structure, style of prose, and vocabulary choices contribute to the overall creation of the tone but are not synonymous with it. The structure of sentences plays a role in the clarity and flow of the writing but does not inherently convey the writer's attitude. Similarly, while style encompasses various aspects of writing like formality, tone itself is a more nuanced reflection of emotional undertones. Likewise, the choice of vocabulary can influence tone but is one of several writing components rather than a definition of tone itself.