音色(ねいろ)

Writing

• 音(ね) - sound
• 色(いろ) - color

The compound literally means "color of sound," capturing how timbre is the "color" that makes each instrument unique.

Pronunciation

Also read as おんしょく in technical/academic contexts.

Common collocations

• 美(うつく)しい音色(ねいろ) - beautiful tone
• 独特(どくとく)の音色(ねいろ) - distinctive timbre
• 温(あたた)かい音色(ねいろ) - warm tone
• 澄(す)んだ音色(ねいろ) - clear tone

Musical context

音色(ねいろ) is what allows us to distinguish:

• A violin from a flute playing the same note
• One singer from another
• Different piano brands

Related words

• 音程(おんてい) - pitch, musical interval
• 音量(おんりょう) - volume
• 音質(おんしつ) - sound quality

Register

Neutral. Common in music discussions and everyday conversation.