Study Shows That Tone of Voice Doesn't Always Come Across in Written Word

(That's a hell of a long title.)

A report has come out stating that often times, an author's intended tone fails to come across when it is written down, or posted to a blog. This may lead to readers misunderstanding the author's intent. Verbal cues, which are necessary when expressing such things as sarcasm or irony simply aren't present in the printed word.

For example: Were I to say "I love paying over $3.50 for a gallon of gas," you would immediately be able to tell that I was being sarcastic due to the inflection that I would place on the word "love." This inflection would indicate that I don't actually love paying that much money for a gallon of gas. While this can be difficult to relay in writing, there are many ways that it can be done.

1. Context




• Context can be a very helpful clue when it comes to sarcasm. For instance, if I wrote a paragraph all about how ridiculous it is that gas prices are so high, the current administration's inability to do anything about it, and the like, and then I said, "I just love paying over $3.50 for a gallon of gas," the reader would have some context with which to work. It is unlikely that a careful reader would be confused by an apparent change of feelings about gas prices.


• A danger with relying on context, however, is when an author often present contradictory viewpoints and widely varying stances. When the author is an indefatigable blowhard who is just as likely to enjoy paying an exorbitant sum for gas as he is to believe that gas prices are too high, then the message can be confusing and the reader might not come to the intended conclusions.




2. Text styling




• Another way of indicating sarcasm or irony is through proper uses of text styling. Combined with contextual clues, italic text can go a long way towards presenting the tone of voice that the author intends to use.


• For example, consider this sentence: "Having you in this neighborhood really makes life better for all of us." Now, look at it this way: "Having you in this neighborhood really makes life better for all of us." While this might be confusing without the proper context, when considered in its proper place, the italic text in this sentence will help readers dramatically.
  




3. Just come out and say it




• It works for Homer Simpson. "In case you couldn't tell, I was being sarcastic."

Hopefully, these tips will help you when trying to get a point across to a reader. Remember: tone of voice is very important when it comes to conveying the fact that what you are saying is not exactly what you mean. Also remember that tone of voice is difficult to express in the written word, especially with readers who may not know you or your sense of humor. By no means should you insult or blame your readers if they don't follow -- it's most likely your fault as opposed to theirs.