Academic Tone & Voice

When you're writing a paper for school, you're not just sharing your thoughts – you're entering a conversation with other scholars, professionals, and thinkers – which includes your professor. To be taken seriously in that conversation, it’s important to use the right tone and voice.

Let’s start with academic tone.

Academic tone is the way we express our ideas when we’re writing for school or scholarly settings. It’s a little more formal than the way we talk with friends, but that doesn’t mean it has to be stuffy or robotic.

So, why does academic tone matter?

Because your tone affects how your ideas are received. Writing in an appropriate academic tone shows your reader – usually your professor – that you’re thoughtful, serious, and respectful of the topic you’re discussing. It also helps establish your credibility.

Now, let’s break down what makes writing “academic” in tone:

• Clarity: Say what you mean as clearly as possible. Avoid vague or overly complex language just to sound smart. Trying to make your writing more complex than it needs to be will confuse both you and your reader.
  
  
• Objectivity: Focus on facts, evidence, and logic – not personal opinions or emotional language.
  
  
• Formality: Use complete sentences, avoid slang, and generally steer clear of contractions like “can’t” or “won’t.” Instead, write “cannot” or “will not.” This may also inadvertently help your word count – but that’s just a silver lining.
  
  
• Evidence-based: Your claims should be supported by reliable sources – which, by the way, is why those citations and references we just talked about are so important.
  
  

Here are some common mistakes students make when writing academically:

• Using slang or informal language (like “gonna,” “cool,” or “totally”)
  
  
• Relying on generalizations (like “Everyone knows…” or “All people think…”). There’s a common saying about making assumptions like that… something about making a fool of you and me.
  
  
• Making emotional or exaggerated claims (“This was the most amazing discovery ever!”). You may think it was – but in an academic setting, you’re better off showing how the discovery impacted the field or changed what others thought. Always show evidence for your claims.
  

So how do you develop your academic voice?

Good question. Academic voice is about your unique perspective and how you engage with the material. Even though academic tone is formal, it doesn’t mean you have to hide your personality. You can still have a clear, confident voice that’s all your own – just make sure it’s thoughtful, respectful, and grounded in evidence.

And remember: this takes practice. Nobody gets it perfect the first time – and that’s OK. Part of being in school is learning to write and think in a new and more nuanced way. Your tone will improve with every paper you write and every piece of research you read. Just aim to be clear, respectful, and honest about what you know (and what you’re still learning).