---
title: tone-deaf
slug: tone-deaf
flag:
  text: 'Medical appropriation'
  level: avoid
defined: true
speech: adjective
alt_words:
  - badly drawn
  - in poor taste
  - insensitive
  - negligent
  - not thought through
  - unaware
  - poorly-conceived
reading:
  - text: 'Less well-known ableist language'
    href: https://thisisforyoucarrie.blog/2018/01/07/less-well-known-ableist-language/
  - text: 'Quora: Is tone-deaf ableist?'
    href: https://www.quora.com/Is-the-term-tone-deaf-ableist?share=1
---

amusia, a neurological disorder that can be congenital (from birth) or acquired (due to comorbidity or injury) that results in the inability to differentiate speech, loss of ability to sing or produce pitch, or other disassociations with music (like rhythm); colloquially, when something is insensitive or poorly thought through.

## Appropriate Usage

Referring the medical condition (amusia) as described above

## Inappropriate Usage

As a literary metaphor for insensitive or negligent

## Issues

Connoting negligence with a medical disorder implies that actions we can control (bad choices) are the same as actions that cannot necessarily be controlled (deafness). It reinforces the discriminatory idea that disability is bad.

## Impact

Using the word tone-deaf reinforces the idea that Deaf and/or non-speaking/non-verbal people are somehow less than and that disability is bad (see [Ableism](/definitions/ableism)).

By using ableist language, we are perpetuating violence against people who experience mental or psychological disabilities. Using this language perpetuates those systems and language of harm, regardless of our intent.

## Usage Tip

Be mindful if you're referring to the medical condition or using it as a literary metaphor. If the latter, substitute by being more specific. Typically we can find an alternate definition by simply reflecting on what emotion we're really feeling.