Tone of voice examples: 10 brand voices, and how to write yours

The best tone of voice examples show the same message written several ways, so you can hear the difference instead of reading adjectives about it. Below are ten brand voice examples, each with three voice words, a "we are, we're not" line, and one ordinary message (a closure notice) rewritten in that voice. After that: how to write your own voice in five steps, a fill-in template, and how to get everyone actually using it.

What is tone of voice?

Your voice is your brand's personality in words. It stays the same everywhere. Your tone is how that voice adjusts to the moment: you sound like yourself whether you're announcing a launch or apologizing for a late order, but you don't sound the same.

A useful way to pin a tone down comes from Nielsen Norman Group's tone of voice framework (Kate Moran, 2016), which places writing on four scales:

• Formal or casual
• Serious or funny
• Respectful or irreverent
• Matter-of-fact or enthusiastic

Every example below sits somewhere on those four lines. Notice where, and you'll know what you're choosing between.

10 tone of voice examples

Here's the plain message every brand starts from:

We're closed on Monday for a team training day. We're open again on Tuesday. You can still book online any time.

The first four brands are the made-up ones we use across this blog. The other six are made up too.

1. Warm and grounded: Northline Coffee

Voice words: warm, textured, quietly confident We are the barista who remembers your order, not the one who tells you their life story.

Both cafés are closed Monday while the crew spends a day cupping and dialing in. Kettle's back on Tuesday at 7. The online shop stays open, and beans ship as usual.

Why it works: small, real details (cupping, the kettle) do the warming. No exclamation marks, and no apology it doesn't need.

2. Calm and clear: Harbor Health

Voice words: calm, clear, kind We are the nurse who explains it once, clearly, not clinical, rushed or vague.

All three Harbor clinics are closed on Monday for staff training. We reopen on Tuesday at 8 a.m. You can book an appointment online at any time, and our nurse line is open as usual if you need advice before then.

Why it works: the facts come first, in short sentences. The kindness is in thinking one step ahead: what if I need help on Monday?

3. Romantic and unhurried: Fern & Field

Voice words: romantic, grounded, unhurried We are a slow walk through the garden, not flowery for the sake of it.

The studio is quiet this Monday while we learn a few new tricks with the season's last dahlias. We'll be back among the buckets on Tuesday morning. Orders for the week ahead can still be placed online, whenever suits you.

Why it works: longer sentences slow the reader down, and the images come from the work itself. Every fact is still there.

4. Expressive and nostalgic: Studio Afterglow

Voice words: expressive, nostalgic, full of color We are a mixtape from a friend, not loud for the sake of it.

The studio's lights are off Monday (we're learning new lighting tricks, the good kind of homework). Back Tuesday at 10. Booking stays open all weekend, so go ahead and claim your golden hour.

Why it works: personality lives in the asides, and "golden hour" ties the message back to the brand's own world.

5. Playful: a board game café

Voice words: playful, cheeky, welcoming We are the friend who explains the rules and brings snacks, not so jokey you can't find the opening hours.

Plot twist: we're closed Monday! The whole team is in training (yes, there's a quiz). We respawn Tuesday at noon. Reserve a table online any time, no dice roll required.

Why it works: the jokes sit around the facts, never on top of them. Playful voices need the clearest facts of all.

6. Expert and plainspoken: a bookkeeping firm

Voice words: knowledgeable, plainspoken, practical We are the accountant who explains it in plain English, not jargon, hedging or a wall of caveats.

Our office is closed on Monday, November 16, for a training day on this year's tax changes. We're back Tuesday at 9. Keep uploading documents through the client portal, and we'll review everything we've received by Wednesday.

Why it works: authority comes from specifics (a date, a reason, a promise you can hold them to), not from long words.

7. Bold and direct: a strength gym

Voice words: bold, direct, motivating We are a coach in your corner, not shouty, shaming or ALL CAPS.

Closed Monday. Our coaches are training too. Doors open Tuesday at 5:30 a.m. Book your spot online and come ready.

Why it works: short sentences, verbs first, no softening. Bold isn't rude. It's quick.

8. Witty and dry: an independent bookshop

Voice words: wry, bookish, understated We are the bookseller with a raised eyebrow and a perfect recommendation, not sarcastic at the customer's expense.

We're closed Monday for staff training, which mostly involves learning where we put things. Back Tuesday at 10, slightly better organized. Online orders carry on, unbothered.

Why it works: the joke is on the shop, never on the reader, and it's dry enough that the facts still read cleanly.

9. Polished and refined: a tailoring atelier

Voice words: refined, considered, assured We are a well-cut suit, not stiff, cold or showy.

Please note that the atelier will be closed on Monday for staff training. We look forward to welcoming you again from Tuesday at 10 a.m. Appointments may be requested online at your convenience.

Why it works: complete sentences and formal phrasing signal care. It's still only three sentences.

10. Upbeat and encouraging: a kids' swim school

Voice words: upbeat, encouraging, patient We are the teacher cheering from the side of the pool, not over-excited or pushy.

Heads up: no lessons this Monday while our teachers brush up on their skills. We'll see you and your little swimmers on Tuesday! Make-up lessons can be booked online any time.

Why it works: it leans on the positive ("see you Tuesday"), and saves its one exclamation mark for the warmest line.

What changes from one voice to the next?

Look back at the ten and the facts never change. What changes is:

• Word choice: "closed" or "quiet", "reopen" or "respawn".
• Sentence length: three words for the gym, twenty-odd for the flower studio.
• Punctuation: exclamation marks, parentheses, questions.
• Which details you add: dahlias, tax changes, the kettle.
• Humor, and who it's aimed at: yourself (safe) or the reader (risky).
• How directly you say it: "Book online" or "Appointments may be requested."

Those six levers are what a voice guide actually controls.

How to write your brand's tone of voice in five steps

1. Gather what already sounds right. Pull five to ten things you've written that felt like you: a newsletter, a caption, a reply to a customer. Add a few that felt off. Customer reviews help too, because they show the words other people use about you.
2. Pick three to five voice words. Test each one against its opposite. "Friendly" barely helps, since nobody aims to sound unfriendly. "Unhurried" helps, because it rules out urgency, countdowns and caps.
3. Write a "we are, we're not" line for each word. "Warm, not gushing." "Clear, not clipped." The "not" half is what stops a good word from going too far.
4. Rewrite three real messages. Use a welcome, a bit of bad news, and a call to action. These become the example lines people copy from, and they'll teach more than the words do.
5. Decide how your tone flexes. Note what changes for an apology, an urgent notice, a celebration and anything legal or medical. Usually: fewer jokes, shorter sentences, facts first.

A tone of voice template

Copy this, fill it in, and keep it to one page.

Voice words:   ________, ________, ________
We are ________, not ________.  (one line per word)

Do:     use ________ / say ________ / keep ________
Don't:  use ________ / say ________ / overdo ________

Words we like:   ________, ________, ________
Words we avoid:  ________, ________, ________

Example lines
  Welcome:          ________________________
  Bad news:         ________________________
  Call to action:   ________________________

Here's Fern & Field's, filled in:

• Voice words: romantic, grounded, unhurried.
• We are romantic, not syrupy. Grounded, not plain. Unhurried, not slow to reply.
• Do: name real flowers and seasons. Use full sentences. Write like you're talking to one person.
• Don't: use countdowns, "hurry" or all caps. Stack adjectives. Say "stunning".
• Example lines: "Welcome to the field." / "This week's peonies didn't make it, so we've swapped in garden roses we think you'll love even more." / "Order flowers for the week ahead."

How to keep everyone using your brand voice

A voice guide only works if people see it while they're writing. A few habits help:

• Keep it next to the words. Put the voice guide beside your approved bios, taglines and sign-offs, not in a 40-page PDF nobody opens.
• Write your most-used lines once. If your short bio, your email sign-off and your booking line are written and approved, nobody has to improvise them. (Your company boilerplate is a good place to start.)
• Show examples, not adjectives. New writers copy the example lines, so make sure they're good.
• Give it to every new person and freelancer on day one, along with the rest of your brand kit.
• Check a handful of posts and emails each quarter, and swap in fresher examples. For bigger teams, there's more in how marketing teams keep everyone on-brand.

Where your voice lives in BrandTab

Every brand in BrandTab has a Voice section with your tagline, a short summary, three to five tone words, voice guidelines (one per line) and usage rules. If you'd rather not start from a blank page, Tabitha, BrandTab's assistant, can read your website and suggest tone words and a few voice guidelines based on how your site actually writes. You review and tick what to keep before anything's saved.

Your approved lines go in Snippets (bios, taglines, calls to action, email sign-offs), and every one is a shortcut away: press ⌘K on Mac or Ctrl+K on Windows, search "bio", and copy it. Voice also appears on the brand sheet, alongside your logos, colors and type, which Creative and Studio plans can share as a page or PDF. Sub-brands get their own Voice section, so Harbor Kids can sound a little brighter than the clinics it sits under. The Free plan includes all of this for one brand.

Questions people ask

What's the difference between tone and voice?

Voice is your brand's personality, and it stays the same. Tone is how that personality adjusts to the situation: lighter for a launch, plainer for an apology. One voice, many tones.

What are the main types of tone of voice?

Common ones include warm, calm, playful, witty, expert, bold, formal and encouraging. Most brands blend two or three, which is why voice words work better than a single label.

How many voice words should a brand have?

Three to five. Fewer feels vague, and more than five is hard for anyone to remember while they're writing.

Can one brand have more than one tone of voice?

One voice, yes; one tone, no. Your tone should shift with the moment. If a location or product line needs a genuinely different personality, give it its own voice as a sub-brand.

Where should a tone of voice guide live?

Wherever people write: next to your approved copy, in the same place as your logos and colors. A one-page guide that people can find in seconds beats a long one they can't.