The tone or style of speech or writing; the characteristic manner or voice used in expression.
その作家の語調は落ち着いていて読みやすい。
That writer's tone is calm and easy to read.
ビジネス文書では語調を丁寧に保つことが大切だ。
In business documents it's important to keep a polite tone.
彼のスピーチは語調が硬く、聞き手に距離感を与えた。
His speech had a stiff tone and created a sense of distance for the audience.
Intonation or accent—refers to the pitch pattern or inflection in speech.
方言によって語調やイントネーションが大きく異なる。
Dialects differ greatly in their intonation and pitch patterns.
通訳は、元の語調をできるだけ保って訳す必要がある。
Interpreters need to preserve the original intonation as much as possible.