Voice and Tone

• Voice is your personality in writing. It stays the same across all content.
• Tone is your attitude. It changes depending on the situation or audience.

Think of it like this:

• Your voice is who you are.
• Your tone is how you speak in different situations.

At Indian Affairs, our voice is:

• Authoritative – We know our stuff.
• Conversational – We talk like real people.
• Friendly – We’re approachable and respectful.
• Instructive – We guide users clearly.
• Welcoming – We write for everyone.

We believe government content should be clear, helpful, and even enjoyable to read.

Examples from our content:

We created this guide for reference on an as-needed basis. It’s here when you’re wondering whether to capitalize the word federal, for instance, or when you’re wondering how to create a friendly, informational tone.

We also:

• Use contractions (like you’re, can’t, it’s)
• Avoid sounding stuffy or robotic
• Write like we’re talking to real people

To define your voice, ask:

• What are our values?
  Your voice should reflect what your organization stands for.
• Who is our audience?
  Think about what tone and style will connect with them.

Once you’ve answered these, write a short description of your voice. Make sure it’s consistent and reflects your values.

Your tone should match the situation.
Here are three examples:

• Mailchimp’s Voice and Tone Guide – Great for learning how tone changes by content type.
• Nonviolent Communication (NVC) Feelings List – Helps you understand what your audience might be feeling.