Meaning & use
matter-of-fact tone
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Meaning
nouncountable
A way of speaking or writing that is calm, direct, and shows no strong emotion.
Grammar: Often used with 'a' or 'the': She spoke in a matter-of-fact tone.
Patterns
- in a matter-of-fact tone
- adopt a matter-of-fact tone
- a matter-of-fact tone of voice
She described the accident in a matter-of-fact tone, as if it were nothing unusual.
His matter-of-fact tone made the bad news sound even worse.
The teacher explained the rules in a matter-of-fact tone, without any emotion.
Common combinations
- in a matter-of-fact tone
- He told the story in a matter-of-fact tone.
- a matter-of-fact tone of voice
- Her matter-of-fact tone of voice surprised everyone.
- speak in a matter-of-fact tone
- Try to speak in a matter-of-fact tone when you give the report.
- adopt a matter-of-fact tone
- The doctor adopted a matter-of-fact tone to keep the patient calm.
Synonyms and how they differ
- neutral tone
- Neutral tone means not showing any particular feeling, while matter-of-fact tone suggests a deliberate plainness that may seem unemotional or even blunt.
- deadpan
- Deadpan describes a deliberately emotionless manner, often for comic effect, whereas matter-of-fact tone is usually sincere and practical.
- unemotional
- Unemotional is an adjective meaning not showing emotions; it is broader and can describe a person or a style, while matter-of-fact tone specifically refers to the way something is said.
Opposites
Commonly confused: matter-of-fact tone or matter of fact?
matter-of-fact tone vs matter of fact
As a phrase without hyphens, 'matter of fact' means 'in reality' or 'actually' (e.g., 'It's a matter of fact that...'). The hyphenated form 'matter-of-fact' is an adjective or part of a noun phrase describing a style.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence using 'matter-of-fact tone'.
Choose one answer.
The correct phrase is hyphenated when it comes before a noun: 'matter-of-fact tone.' Option 2 lacks hyphens, which is less standard in this position. Option 3 contradicts the meaning (a matter-of-fact tone suggests something is ordinary, not extraordinary). Option 4 also contradicts the meaning, because a matter-of-fact tone is unemotional.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “matter-of-fact tone”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.