tone tags / tone indicators list
includes basic information, sources and masterlist
made by emour, dm me on discord - emour#1996 - for any corrections or changes you may feel are necessary.
All information has been fact checked before inserted. If any corrections are made, there will be an edit on the footer. You do not need to ask any permission in order to cite this on your own carrd. If you are planning on copying or taking inspiration, please message me before doing anything.
what is tone?
tone is a particular quality, way of sounding, modulation, or intonation of the voice as expressive of some meaning, feeling, spirit, etc. / an accent peculiar to a person, people, locality, etc., or a characteristic mode of sounding words in speech. Dictionary.com, Tone Definition
what are tone-tags?
tone tags are small indicators that help neurodivergent people and people who have trouble conveying the tone of a message over text. Urban Dictionary, Tone Tag Definition
what is neurodivergent?
to be neurodivergent means your brain functions differently in various ways than someone who is neurotypical. neurodivergence ranges from autism, dyslexia, ADHD and so much more. CavsConnect.com, A /Srs Guide to the Importance of Tone Indicators
how do i use tone tags?
to use tone indicators, place a back-slash - / - and then the corresponding tag. a list of tone tags can be found on our tone tag masterlist page.
how do tone tags help?
indicators are easy to use and prevent distress from missed social cues. when applied correctly, miscommunication and misunderstandings caused by ambiguous tone in text can always be avoided. in a day and age where this particular medium of conversation is commonplace, clarity is essential. as non-face-to-face communication, in general, has grown and changed, our syntax, grammar, and sentence structure has adapted as well. The Plaid Line - Highland Park Senior High School, “Tone Tags” and how to use them
i don't really want to use tone tags. is that bad?
not necessarily! tone tags are optional if you are using social media normally, especially if you are in person. however, if someone were to ask you to use tone indicators while speaking with them, it would be rather rude to decline. tone indicators are the main source of understanding for many people, and they may misinterpret what you are trying to say to them without any sort of proper indication. it is entirely your choice, but be respectful to those who need or ask for tone tags used around them. purposefully picking on someone or just overall being rude to someone due to their usage of tone tags is bad, and can or will be labeled as ableism.
tone tag masterlist
| tone tag | meaning |
|---|---|
| /! | excited |
| /a | alterous |
| /ao | an order |
| /av | a vent |
| /ay | at you |
| /br | bragging (see also: /fx) |
| /c | copypasta |
| /calm | calm / calmly |
| /cb | clickbait |
| /cel | celebratory |
| /co or /cf | comforting |
| /curi | curious/curiously |
| /f | fake |
| /fam | familial |
| /fl | flirting |
| /fx | flex (see also: /br) |
| /g or /gen | genuine |
| /gentle | gentle / gently |
| /gq, /genq | genuine question |
| /gs, /gens | genuine suggestion |
| /hj | half joking |
| /hyp | hyperbole |
| /info | information or informing |
| /irre | irrelevant |
| /j | joke or joking |
| /jk | just kidding |
| /jw | just wondering |
| /lh | light hearted |
| /li | literally |
| /ly, /lyr | lyrics |
| /lu | little upset |
| /m | metaphorically / metaphor |
| /nabr | not a brag (see also: /nafx) |
| /nfl | not flirting |
| /nafx | not a flex (see also: /nabr) |
| /nao | not an order |
| /naq | not a question |
| /nav | not a vent |
| /nay | not at you |
| /nbh | nobody here |
| /nbr | not being rude |
| /neg, /nc | negative connotation |
| /neu | neutral connotation |
| /nf | not fake |
| /nfl | not flirting |
| /nm | not mad |
| /nmay | not mad at you |
| /npa | not passive aggressive |
| /nsb | not subtweeting |
| /nsrs | not serious |
| /nsx, /nx | nonsexual or not sexual intent |
| /ny | not yelling |
| /ot | off topic |
| /p | platonic |
| /pa | passive aggressive |
| /para | paraphrase |
| /pf | playful |
| /pos, /pc | positive connotation |
| /q | quote |
| /qp | queerplatonic |
| /r | romantic |
| /rh or /rt | rhetorical question |
| /s, /sarc | sarcastic / sarcastically |
| /sbh | somebody here |
| /sbtw | subtweeting |
| /srs | serious |
| /st | statement |
| /sx or /x | sexual intent |
| /t | teasing |
| /tan | tangent |
| /th | threat |
| /tic | tic, unintentional due to being a tic |
| /ts | to self |
| /u | upset |
| /unin | unintentional |
| /unre | unrelated |
| /vu | very upset |
| /w | warm / warmth |
Sources
Some informational links about the use of tone tags / indicators and how they are helpful. All are cited in MLA format. Please note that the Urban Dictionary is not a reliable source at all times, however it does provide a good-enough definition for tone tags and indicators. If you would like any other sources added, feel free to contact me.
Unknown Author. "Tone Tags Definition." Urban Dictionary, https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=tone%20tags. Date Unknown.
Marcus, Ezra. "Tone Is Hard to Grasp Online. Can Tone Indicators Help?." The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/09/style/tone-indicators-online.html. December 9th, 2020.
Crosby, Caroline. "'Tone Tags' and how to use them." The Plaid Line, Highland Park Senior High School, https://hpshplaidline.org/2021/05/19/tone-tags-and-how-to-use-them/. May 19th, 2021.
Unknown Author. "Tone Indicators. What they are, why you should use them, and how to use them." Tone Indicators Carrd, https://toneindicators.carrd.co/. Date Unknown.
ranlaugh (Twitter). "Tone tags / Tone indicators. Explanation, information, etc as well as a masterlist of them." Tone Tags Carrd, https://tonetags.carrd.co/. November 24th, 2021.
Pellot, Emerald. "What does 'LH' mean? Here's what you need to know about tone indicators." In The Know, https://www.intheknow.com/post/lh-meaning-tone-indicators-tiktok/. Date Unknown.
Merchant, Michael. "Tone indicators, explained." The Gillnetter, https://thegillnetter.com/11868/features/tone-indicators-explained/. December 13th, 2021.
Schweitzer, Genevieve. "A Guide to Tone Indicators." YR Media, https://yr.media/tech/a-guide-to-tone-indicators/. April 26th, 2021.
muhammadirfansedana. "Tone Indicators: A Little Dive-in." Center For Digital Society, https://cfds.fisipol.ugm.ac.id/2021/09/16/tone-indicators-a-little-dive-in/. September 16th, 2021.
Morffi, Angelina. "A /Srs Guide to the Importance of Tone Indicators." CavsConnect, https://www.cavsconnect.com/opinion/2021/11/14/a-srs-guide-to-the-importance-of-tone-indicators/. November 14th, 2021.
Leung, Yasmine. "Twitter: What is the meaning of /p? Tone indicators explained." HITC, https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2021/04/05/twitter-what-is-the-meaning-of-p-tone-indicators-explained/. April 17th, 2021.