The old switchboard hummed with familiar dialling tones as we waited for the connection.

She spent the afternoon downloading new ring tones for her collection.

Linguists analyze contour tones to understand how pitch changes within a syllable convey meaning.

The vintage organ produced rich engaged tones whenever the stops were pulled.

The composer layered several Shepard tones to create the unsettling sense of perpetual ascent in the soundtrack.

The melody's unusual charm comes from its use of whole tones, creating a dreamlike atmosphere.

The cello produced unsettling wolf tones during the solo, forcing the player to adjust his bowing.

The composer deliberately inserted non-harmonic tones to create tension before the resolution.

Don't tone police me when I'm trying to explain my feelings.

Linguists note that the entering tone often appears in syllables ending with plosive consonants, giving them a short, sharp quality.