tonne
gb/tˈʌn/ us/tˈʌn/
B1
English
~ 7600
Senses
0 senses
Noun
technical
B1
quantity
1
metric unit of mass (1000 kg)
A unit for measuring very heavy things, equal to 1,000 kilograms.
Usage pattern:
[number] tonnes of [something]
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse "tonne" with "ton". In most British and international usage, "tonne" always means 1,000 kilograms, while "ton" can be a different measure (such as a short ton in the US). Another common mistake is spelling it as "tone" or thinking it is pronounced differently from "ton"; in practice, "ton" and "tonne" are usually pronounced the same.
Synonyms
metric ton (Primarily used in American English; same mass as a tonne but different spelling.)
Antonyms
gram (A much smaller unit of mass, used for light objects rather than heavy ones measured in tonnes.)
Collocations
metric tonne
|million tonnes
|tonne of CO2
|tonne of coal
|per tonne
|tonnes of cargo
Themes
science
|measurement
|technology
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The ship can carry up to 50,000 tonnes of grain.
- Global steel production reached two billion tonnes last year.
- Each turbine blade weighs more than ten tonnes.
- They reported emissions of 200,000 tonnes of CO2 in 2024.
- Farmers harvested over a tonne of wheat per hectare.
Learner examples
- The truck can carry twenty tonnes of sand.
- This bridge can hold many tonnes of weight.
- The elephant weighs about five tonnes.
- The factory produces 300 tonnes of paper each week.
- One tonne is the same as 1,000 kilograms.
Noun
informal
B2
quantity
2
a very large amount (informal)
A way to say there is a lot of something, not an exact number.
Usage pattern:
a tonne of [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may think "a tonne of" always means exactly 1,000 kilograms. In informal speech and writing, it usually just means "a lot of" and is not an exact measure. Another mistake is using it in very formal writing, where phrases like "a large amount of" or "a great deal of" are more appropriate.
Synonyms
tons (of) (Very common informal expression with the same meaning; slightly more natural than "a tonne of" in many varieties of English.)
Antonyms
a little (Expresses a small amount, the opposite of the very large amount suggested by "a tonne of".)
Collocations
a tonne of work
|a tonne of homework
|a tonne of money
|a tonne of problems
|a tonne of emails
Themes
quantity
|daily_life
|speech
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I’ve got a tonne of work to finish before Friday.
- She received a tonne of messages after posting the news online.
- We had a tonne of fun at the festival.
- There are a tonne of reasons to visit this city.
- He made a tonne of mistakes on his first day, but he learned quickly.
Learner examples
- I have a tonne of homework tonight.
- She drinks a tonne of coffee every day.
- They got a tonne of emails after the sale.
- We took a tonne of photos on our trip.
- He has a tonne of ideas for the project.
Grammar
Dictionary form
tonne
IPA
GB/tˈʌn/
US/tˈʌn/
Syllables & stress
tonne (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (tonne)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: tonne
- Plural: tonne, tonnes
Word family
Forms
tonnes
noun
Related words
ton
noun B1
tonnage
noun
Advanced or less common
kilotonne
noun
megatonne
noun
Expressions
a tonne of
1/ə tˈʌn əv/
fixed phrase
informal
a very large amount of something
Used before a noun to mean there is a lot of that thing, not an exact amount.
Examples
- There were a tonne of people at the concert last night.
- I’ve got a tonne of emails to answer this morning.
- We ate a tonne of pizza at the party.