sotto voce

Meaning

Adj

1. (not-comparable) In soft tones; quiet.
2. (not-comparable) Soft, instruments or voice.

Adv

1. (not-comparable) Quietly.
2. (not-comparable) Sung or played softly, instruments or voice.

Noun

A direction in a score that a passage in a piece should be played softly, or sung in a low voice, when applied to vocal music.

Synonyms

in a low voice

quietly

under one’s breath

hushedly

Translations

sotto voce

sotto voce

sotto voce

χαμηλόφωνα

basso

sommessamente

sordamente

sottovoce

zacht

en voz baja

alçak sesle

suaument

kendi kendine

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˌsɒtəʊ ˈvəʊtʃeɪ/

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian sottovoce (literally “under [the] voice”).