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# semitone

noun (a semitone, semitones)

«semitone» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

(music) The smallest step between two notes in Western music, such as from C to C sharp, or from E to F; half of a tone. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/semitone/#m1)

### In the lessons

In music lessons semitones are the steps between neighbouring keys on a piano, black or white. Two semitones make one tone (a whole step). Sharps raise a note by a semitone; flats lower it by a semitone. An octave has 12 semitones. In maths-and-music puzzles counting semitones is like counting on a number line.

### Examples

- From C to C sharp is one semitone. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/semitone/#x1)
- E to F is a semitone, with no black key between. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/semitone/#x2)
- Two semitones make a whole tone. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/semitone/#x3)
- There are twelve semitones in an octave. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/semitone/#x4)
- The singer went up a semitone for the last chorus. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/semitone/#x5)
- A sharp raises a note by a semitone. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/semitone/#x6)

### Note

Countable: a semitone, semitones. US English often says "half step" (and "whole step" for a tone). "Semi" means half. Number fact: 12 semitones = 1 octave = 6 tones.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «semitone» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/semitone/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«semitone» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/semitone.html) on Mova free.