Voice vs. tone

Voice and tone are sometimes used interchangeably. However, in UX writing, they're two different concepts.

Think of brand voice like a person's character—the mental and moral qualities that make them distinctive. Tone, on the other hand, is the mood that a person takes on in a particular moment.

While character stays constant, mood shifts with context. Every piece of writing on a page, from body copy to button labels, contributes to the tone of voice a product uses to speak to its users.

For example, a fun and casual tone works well for onboarding copy. But when users encounter error messages or complete money transactions, the context calls for a more serious and concise tone.