tone tags
definition, information, master list, and more
[made by @anxious_ace_ on discord - last updated 17 november, 2022]
what are tone tags?
tone
tone is "a modulation of the voice expressing a particular feeling or mood," a form of expression.tone tags
tone tags, or tone indicators, are abbreviations used for conveying tone over text and online.why are they used?
some people have difficulty with figuring out the tone of what someone says, especially neurodivergent people. [note: not all neurodivergent people need tone tags, some neurotypical people do need tone tags] communicating through text can make this more difficult because there are less indicators to help decipher the tone (ex; facial expressions, body language, etc.)
indicating what the tone of your message is can be very helpful and stop misunderstandings.more basic info
don't use tone tags as a way to mock/confuse others, get away with being mean, or as a joke. they are a helpful tool and are meant to be used as such. do not make fun of tone tags or those who use/need them. not everyone knows or fully understand tone tags. be patient and explain to them.
try to remember to put tone indicators in your original message. as a follow up message or comment, might not be seen by everyone.
you can use multiple tone tags, but don't use an excessive amount. using four (4) or more can come across as demeaning and rude. for most messages, one (1) tone indicator is enough.
not everyone remembers or likes to use tone tags, including neurodivergent people. if someone asks you to use them, even for just one message, it's better to put a tone tag on that message, that way nothing gets misunderstood or misinterpreted. if you don't understand the tone of the message, or just want to be sure you understand, you can ask whoever sent that message to use a tone tag too.
don't worry about memorizing every single tone indicator, or using them all. use whichever one(s) you think work for the message.
remember, tone tags are a safe and helpful tool for many people.
how do i use tone tags?
using tone tags is pretty simple. at the end of your message, or at the end of a sentence, put the tone indicator(s) you need with that message. remember, you can put more than one tone tag for one message.
ex; "you're amazing, thank you /gen" or "what is that? /npa /gq"who can use tone tags? when can they be used?
anyone can use tone tags. they are not an exclusive thing to neurodivergent people. they were originally created to help neurodivergent people who struggle with tone, but anyone can use them whenever they think one, or more, is needed. a person might ask you to add a tone tag to a message as well, that just means they want to better understand what you are saying/asking.what is 'neurodivergent'?
'neurodivergent' (also referred to as 'nd') is a "term to describe individuals who do not fit what society perceives as typical in ways of thinking and/or in how one's brain functions. this includes mental disorders, mental disabilities, psychological variations, mental variations, and similar." neurodivergence is not new, and is not exclusive to queer people. people of any gender, sexual/romantic orientation, age, race, and religion can be neurodivergent. however, being neurodivergent often affects how one views gender, attraction, pronouns, and appearance, but not always.
list of tone tags
note: this is a long list, but this does not mean these are all existing tone tags. these are the most common ones, plus some others that we know of or have made.
/j = joking
/hj = half joking
/lhj = light-hearted joke
/mj = mostly joking
/cj = coping joke
/ji = joke insult
/ij = inside joke
/t = teasing
/s = sarcastic or sarcasm
/ns = not sarcastic or not sarcasm
/srs = serious
/hsrs = half serious
/msrs = mostly serious
/nsrs = not serious
/li = literal or literally
/m = metaphor or metaphorically
/info = information or informing
/st = statement
/para = paraphrase or paraphrasing
/q = quote
/lyr = lyrics
/c = copypasta
/ref = reference
/rp = roleplay
/lh = light-hearted
/g or /gen = genuine
/gq or /genq = genuine question
/genep or /gene = genuine explaination
/genc = genuinely confused
/vpos = very positive
/pos = positive connotation
/nbr = not being rude
/npa = not passive aggressive or not personal attack
/nm = not mad or not mean
/u = upset
/lu = little upset
/vu = very upset
/vneg = very negative
/neg = negative connotation
/vann = very annoyed
/vm = very mad
/ns = not sad
/nf = not forced
/nfta = not forced to answer
/nbh = nobody here
/nay = not at you
/ay = at you
/nav= not a vent
/av = a vent
/ot = off topic
/irre = irrelevant
/unre = unrelated
/rat = random thought
/sug = suggestion
/th = threat
/nsb = not subtweeting
/cb = clickbait
/f = fake
/rht or /rh = rhetorical question
/p = platonic
/qp = queer platonic
/r = romantic
/a = alterous
/aff = affectionate
/fam = familial
/fl = flirting
/nfl = not flirting
/sx or /x = sexual intent
/nsx or /ns = non-sexual intent
/pf = playful
/neu = neutral or neutral connotation
/imo = in my opinion
/hyp = hyperbole
/ex = exaggeration
/jov = jokingly overreacting
/pr = prideful
/jpr = jokingly prideful
/hjpr = half-jokingly prideful
/md = melodramatic
/br = bragging
/fx = flex
/nabr or nafx = not a brag or not a flex
/cel = celebratory
/wsu = needs support or wants support
/su = supportive
/co or /cf = comforting
/nsu = does not want support
/dni = do not interact
/oti = okay to interact
/pi = please interact
/pl = please laugh
/otl = okay to laugh
/com or /comp = complaining
/ntar = not targeted
/b = bitter or bitterly
/att = ask to tag
/ind = indirect
/ovs = oversimplification
/v = vague
/ao - an order
/nao = not an order
/curi = curious
/jw = just wondering
/naq = not a question
/ny = not yelling
/tan = tangent
/vt = vocal stim
/st = stim
/tic = tic (when something typed or sent was unintentional due to a tic)
/unin = unintentional
/gib = gibberish
/ts = to self
/sys = system
/w = warm/warmth
sources + carrds
additional note
this carrd was made to be helpful, please feel free to share it.i have included less known indicators or ones we have made as the carrds linked do not have them.we will attempt to update the master list whenever we find/make new indicators. if you know of any that are not on this list, feel free to suggest it.i did get some inspiration from the other two carrds, but i did not make them.