Voice and tone in product writing
Voice versus tone
Voice is the personality of a product in writing. It stays the same everywhere. Tone is how that voice is adjusted for a situation. A friendly product still sounds different when it congratulates someone and when it reports a failed payment.
Defining both helps teams write consistently without sounding robotic.
A simple test: if the same sentence could appear in any product, the voice is not defined yet. Voice should show in word choice, sentence length and how the product addresses the person.
- Voice answers: who is speaking?
- Tone answers: how does that speaker sound right now, given how the reader feels?
Four dimensions of tone
Nielsen Norman Group describes tone along four dimensions. Each one is a spectrum, and a product can sit at a different point for different screens.
Funny vs. serious
How much humour the text uses.
Formal vs. casual
How close to everyday speech the text is.
Respectful vs. irreverent
How much the text respects convention and authority.
Enthusiastic vs. matter-of-fact
How much excitement the text shows.
Place the product on each spectrum, then write the position down. A banking app might sit toward serious, formal and matter-of-fact. A children’s learning app might sit toward funny, casual and enthusiastic. Neither is right in general; each should suit its audience and task.
Write three voice principles
Three principles are enough to guide most writing. Give each one a short name and a do and don’t pair, so writers can check their text against it.
- Clear. Do: “Your file is too large. The limit is 10 MB.” Don’t: “Oops, something went wrong with your upload.”
- Helpful. Do: “Check your connection and try again.” Don’t: “Error 500.”
- Human. Do: “Welcome back.” Don’t: “User authentication successful.”
Adapt to context and language
- Errors and payments call for a calm, serious tone. Avoid jokes, exclamation marks and blame.
- Celebration moments, such as finishing a setup, can be lighter and warmer.
- Keep the voice the same in Arabic and English. Write each language natively rather than translating word for word, and compare the two for the same level of formality and warmth.
Test a draft by reading it aloud in the situation where the person will see it.
Write a short list of words the product uses and avoids, such as “Sign in” rather than “Log on”. A glossary like this keeps both languages consistent over time.
Sources
- Nielsen Norman Group. The Four Dimensions of Tone of Voice. https://www.nngroup.com/articles/tone-of-voice-dimensions/
This guide was drafted with AI assistance from public standards and references. For the exact wording of a standard, use the sources listed above.