---
title: semitone — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «semitone» in the school dictionary: 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. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# semitone

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** E, Two semitones, twelve semitones, singer, sharp · **What happens:** be, make, go up, raise · **To what, where:** sharp one semitone, semitone, whole tone, octave, note

<!-- .vabout -->
«semitone» in the school dictionary: its meaning for a pupil and its 6 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [semitone in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/semitone.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .note -->
Usage: music — kept apart, not parsed.

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
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.

<!-- fold The tree, 25 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:semitone:m1:1
# text = 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.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	smallest	small	ADJ	JJS	Degree=Sup	3	amod	_	_
3	step	step	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	17	nsubj	_	_
4	between	between	ADP	IN	_	6	case	_	_
5	two	two	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	6	nummod	_	_
6	notes	note	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nmod	_	_
7	in	in	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	Western	western	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	music	music	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	14	punct	_	_
11	such	such	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos|ExtPos=ADP	14	case	_	_
12	as	as	ADP	IN	_	11	fixed	_	_
13	from	from	ADP	IN	_	11	fixed	_	_
14	C	C	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	17	obl	_	_
15	to	to	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
16	C	C	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	14	nmod	_	_
17	sharp	sharp	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
18	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	21	punct	_	_
19	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	21	cc	_	_
20	from	from	ADP	IN	_	21	case	_	_
21	E	E	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	17	conj	_	_
22	to	to	ADP	IN	_	23	case	_	_
23	F	F	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	21	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
24	;	;	PUNCT	:	_	25	punct	_	_
25	half	half	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing|NumForm=Word|NumType=Frac	17	parataxis	_	_
26	of	of	ADP	IN	_	28	case	_	_
27	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	28	det	_	_
28	tone	tone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	25	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
29	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	17	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .note -->
The frames reader finds no event or fact in this sentence.

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
From C to C sharp is one semitone.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:semitone:x1:1
# text = From C to C sharp is one semitone.
1	From	from	ADP	IN	_	2	case	_	_
2	C	C	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	5	obl	_	_
3	to	to	ADP	IN	_	4	case	_	_
4	C	C	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	2	nmod	_	_
5	sharp	sharp	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	8	amod	_	_
6	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	8	cop	_	_
7	one	one	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	8	nummod	_	_
8	semitone	semitone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	8	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present |  | sharp one semitone |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
E to F is a semitone, with no black key between.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:semitone:x2:1
# text = E to F is a semitone, with no black key between.
1	E	e	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
2	to	to	ADP	IN	_	3	case	_	_
3	F	F	PROPN	NNP	Number=Sing	1	nmod	_	_
4	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	semitone	semitone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	11	punct	_	_
8	with	with	ADP	IN	_	11	case	_	_
9	no	no	DET	DT	PronType=Neg	11	det	_	_
10	black	black	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	11	amod	_	_
11	key	key	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	appos	_	_
12	between	between	ADP	IN	_	11	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | E to F | a semitone |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Two semitones make a whole tone.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:semitone:x3:1
# text = Two semitones make a whole tone.
1	Two	two	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	2	nummod	_	_
2	semitones	semitone	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	3	nsubj	_	_
3	make	make	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
5	whole	whole	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	6	amod	_	_
6	tone	tone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **make** | present | Two semitones | a whole tone |  |  |  |  | vn build-26.1-1 «NP.asset V NP»: agent=Asset tone=Product |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
There are twelve semitones in an octave.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:semitone:x4:1
# text = There are twelve semitones in an octave.
1	There	there	PRON	EX	PronType=Dem	2	expl	_	_
2	are	be	VERB	VBP	Mood=Ind|Number=Plur|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	twelve	twelve	NUM	CD	NumForm=Word|NumType=Card	4	nummod	_	_
4	semitones	semitone	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	2	nsubj	_	_
5	in	in	ADP	IN	_	7	case	_	_
6	an	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	octave	octave	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	2	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **does** | present | twelve semitones |  |  | a octave; there |  |  | vn exist-47.1 «NP V PP.location»: agent=Theme in octave=Location |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The singer went up a semitone for the last chorus.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:semitone:x5:1
# text = The singer went up a semitone for the last chorus.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	singer	singer	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	went	go	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	up	up	ADP	RP	_	3	compound:prt	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	semitone	semitone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	_
7	for	for	ADP	IN	_	10	case	_	_
8	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	10	det	_	_
9	last	last	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	10	amod	_	_
10	chorus	chorus	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
11	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **go up** | past | the singer | a semitone |  |  |  | for the last chorus | vn calibratable\_cos-45.6.1-1 «NP.attribute V»: agent=Attribute |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A sharp raises a note by a semitone.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:semitone:x6:1
# text = A sharp raises a note by a semitone.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	sharp	sharp	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	nsubj	_	_
3	raises	raise	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	note	note	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	by	by	ADP	IN	_	8	case	_	_
7	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	8	det	_	_
8	semitone	semitone	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
9	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **raise** | present | a sharp | a note |  |  |  | by a semitone | vn put\_direction-9.4 «NP V NP PP.destination»: agent=Agent note=Theme by semitone=Destination |

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**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

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