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tune

noun · verb

Simple meaning

A song, or short musical composition.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

toon
US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈtun

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

noun

  1. A song, or short musical composition.

  2. A melody.

  3. informal

    The act of tuning or maintenance.

  4. The state or condition of being correctly tuned.

verb

  1. Adjust for (better) functioning

  2. To adjust or modify (especially a mechanical or electrical device) so that it functions optimally.

  3. To adjust the frequency on a radio or TV set, so as to receive the desired channel.

  4. Of faculties, senses, etc.: to adapt to or direct towards a particular target.

  5. To make more precise, intense, or effective; to put into a proper state or disposition.

  6. To attune; to adapt in style of music; to make harmonious.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
B1 · Intermediate
Frequency
Common
Typical Use
Varies by meaning

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: To adjust or modify (especially a mechanical or electrical device) so that it functions optimally.

Used this way, tune is a specialist word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. This is an engineering use: it is a working term used for accuracy on the job.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Specialist/technical
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Specialized
Connotation
Clinical and technical
Usage feel
Technical and specialized

Where it naturally appears

  • Technical/specialist writing
  • Science

Usage note

In general conversation this sense usually needs explaining — outside its field, people reach for a plainer word.

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use tune

  • “My piano needs to be tuned.”verb

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

different tunenew tunedance tunehymn tune

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Similar Words, What’s the Difference?

Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.

  • strain

    Any sustained note or movement.

  • air

    A melody or song, especially a solo.

  • melody

    A sequence of notes that makes up a musical phrase.

  • line

    A series of notes forming a certain part (such as the bass or melody) of a greater work.

Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Inflected forms

Grammatical variations of the same word.

  • tunernounInflected form

    Someone who tunes pianos.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

  • tune-upnounCompound term

    Exercising in preparation for strenuous activity.

  • tune inverbCompound term

    Regulate (a radio or television set) in order to receive a certain station or program.

  • piano tunernounCompound term

    Someone who tunes pianos.

  • signature tunenounCompound term

    A melody used to identify a performer or a dance band or radio/tv program.

Related Words

Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.