03 · Tone
“That's interesting.”
How does tone change the reaction?
Mary's model recording
0:00 / 0:00
Meaning
“I find that interesting.”
What it can imply
With a warm, rising tone, it shows real curiosity. With a flat tone and no follow-up question, it can mean “I disagree” or “I'm not convinced” — politely.
Context and register
Listen for what comes next. Real interest is usually followed by a question. A pause or a change of topic often signals doubt.
In conversation
Genuine curiosity
Ana:In my country we have dinner at ten at night.
Tom:Oh, that's interesting! Why so late?
Polite doubt
Ana:I think we should redo the whole website.
Manager:Hmm. That's… interesting. Let's think about the budget first.
Would I use this?
Yes — and add a question to show you really mean it (if you do): “That's interesting — how did that start?”
Your practice
Record yourself saying the phrase, then listen back and compare with Mary's model. Your recording stays on this device only — it is not uploaded, saved or analysed.