Tone Tags Ultimate List

Tone indicators, a guide to effective communication

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Carrd by The Coffee Crew

What is Tone?
Tone is the way someone’s feelings, attitude, or intentions come across in what they say.According to the Cambridge Dictionary, tone is “a quality in the voice that expresses the speaker’s feelings or thoughts.”What are Tone Indicators?
Tone tags, also called tone indicators, are short tags added to text to show the intended tone or meaning of a message.Why Use Tone Tags?
Text communication can be difficult to interpret because it lacks facial expressions, body language, and vocal cues. Tone tags help make messages clearer and can reduce misunderstandings, especially for some neurodivergent people.What does “neurodivergent” mean?
“Neurodivergent” (ND) refers to people whose brains function differently from what is considered typical. This includes conditions such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and others.When and Where to Use Tone Tags
Tone tags can be used whenever a message could be misinterpreted or when extra clarification may help. They are commonly used in texting, social media posts, comments, chats, forums, and emails.How to Use Tone Tags
Tone Tags are usually placed at the end of a sentence or message.Examples:
I love you /p
Wow, thanks! /sarc
Wow, thanks! /genBut they can also be placed at the beginning
(sann, gen)please stop that
(sarc) wow, great ideaWho Can Use Tone Tags?
Anyone can use tone tags. While they became popular partly because they help some neurodivergent people communicate more clearly, they are not limited to any specific group.Things to Keep in Mind
- Don’t mock people for using tone tags
- Tone tags are meant to clarify tone, not excuse rude behavior
- Add tone tags to the original message when possible
- Don’t misuse tone tags to intentionally confuse people
- Different people have different communication preferences
- Misunderstandings can happen, so clarification is important
- Not all neurodivergent people use or need tone indicatorsWhy Might Someone Not Want to Use Tone Tags?
Not everyone finds tone tags helpful, and there are many valid reasons someone may choose not to use them.Some people:
- feel tone tags interrupt the flow of conversation
- prefer to rely on context instead
- find large lists of tone tags confusing or hard to remember
- feel pressured to constantly explain their tone
- struggle to choose the “correct” tag for what they mean
- dislike how tone tags look in messages
- may misunderstand or interpret tags differently
- find them unnecessary for their communication style
- have accessibility issues with abbreviations or screenreaders
- simply do not personally benefit from themDifferent communication styles work for different people.

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/att (ask to tag) - ask the person for a tone tag if you need one or think one should be added for clarification
/cont (continued) - whatever is being said is continued in the next post, comment, etc.
/dkm (don't kill me) - typically used with some opinions, like hot takes, or jokes
/echo (echolalia) - used when something repeated was due to echolalia and not intentional copying or mocking
/iw (inner world) - used by systems when referring to their inner worlds
/key (keysmash) - used to differenciate between a keysmash & a code
/mj (major joke) - used like /j but with more emphasis
/safe - not really a tone indicator, it's just saying that the thread or post doesn't have like gore or anything in it
/shdfd (schadenfreude) - when someone gets gets called out and someone who is using that tone tag feels satisfaction from it
/slur - words that aren't actually slurs but are jokingly treated as such
/sys (system) - for systems only; used when saying something that's not directed at anyone outside of the system
/tic - used when something was typed accidentally because of a tic

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