Word choice affects the tone, imagery, and voice of a written piece. Just as you use your tone of voice to demonstrate to others how you feel, in writing you use your words to communicate your attitude toward a subject. Tone can be positive or negative, happy or sad, angry or peaceful, hopeful or desperate, and so on.
Word choice (diction) impacts the overall tone/mood of the sentence or paragraph. For example, “Tony hit the wall with the sledgehammer” sounds heavier and slower than “Tony struck the wall with the sledgehammer”. “Struck” (or strike) carries the connotation of being quicker, harder, and swifter than simply saying “hit”.
