Definition

Describing something that does not have a tone or pitch, often used in the context of music or language.

Example

The nontonal nature of the speech made it difficult to understand the intended meaning.

Conversation

I was listening to a new song that was completely nontonal and it was so different.

That sounds interesting! What did you think of it?

At first, it was hard to follow, but I ended up enjoying its uniqueness.

I love when music breaks traditional rules like that.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Nontonal → It is formed from "non-" (meaning not) and "tonal" (from Latin "tonus", meaning tone). The word "nontonal" means not relating to tone or lacking tone.

Memory Tip

Think of 'non-' meaning not, and 'tonal' relating to tone — so nontonal describes something that is not related to tone.

Visually Confused Words