Word
Definition
n. a unit of weight equal to 1,000 kilograms. You use this word when talking about very heavy things like cars, ships, or large amounts of food.
n. a metric unit of mass equivalent to 1,000 kilograms or approximately 2,204.6 pounds. Often referred to as a 'metric ton' in American English to distinguish it from the imperial ton.
Examples
“The truck can carry one tonne of cargo.”
“The factory produces over a tonne of recycled plastic every single day.”
“Environmental regulations now require shipping companies to report their carbon emissions per tonne of freight moved across international waters.”
Examples
simple
“The truck can carry one tonne of cargo.”
contextual
“The factory produces over a tonne of recycled plastic every single day.”
complex
“Environmental regulations now require shipping companies to report their carbon emissions per tonne of freight moved across international waters.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “tonne” in context.
Verb
01. emit tonne
“The plant emits thousands of tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.”
verb + noun
02. tonne equals
“One metric tonne equals one thousand kilograms.”
noun + verb
03. transport tonne
“The railway is used to transport millions of tonnes of coal annually.”
verb + noun
04. weigh tonne
“The adult African elephant can weigh up to six tonnes.”
verb + noun
Adjective
05. gross tonne
“The ship has a capacity of five thousand gross tonnes.”
adj + noun
06. metric tonne
“The factory produces over one hundred metric tonnes of steel every day.”
adj + noun
Noun
07. price per tonne
“The price per tonne of copper has risen significantly this month.”
noun + prep + noun
08. thousand tonne
“The cargo ship was carrying fifty thousand tonnes of grain.”
numeral + noun
09. cost per metric tonne
“The total cost per metric tonne includes shipping and handling fees.”
10. produce tonnes of waste
“Large manufacturing plants produce tonnes of waste that must be processed.”
Usage
Commonly used in the plural ('tonnes of') as a hyperbole to mean 'a lot of'.
American English spells this metric unit 'ton', often as 'metric ton'. See the entry for ton.
Pitfall
The car weighs one ton.
The car weighs one tonne.
In British English, 'tonne' refers specifically to the metric unit (1,000kg), while 'ton' refers to imperial units.
Real-World Examples
“The UN estimates that removing the bulk of the rubble in the Gaza Strip will take until 2040, with 61m tonnes of debris to clear.” “A "whopping" 1.7 tonnes of ready-cut chips have been seized, according to police taking part in an operation to crack down on food standards breaches.” “Spanish police have made their largest seizure of cocaine at sea after finding almost 10 tonnes of the drug hidden among a cargo of salt on a merchant ship off the Canary Islands.” “A blockage estimated to be around 100 tonnes has been cleared from a west London sewer.” Etymology
From French tonne. Doublet of ton and tun.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/tonne
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0