Major Second vs Minor Second

Side-by-side comparison of two musical terms.

	Major Second	Minor Second
Definition	An interval spanning two semitones, equivalent to a whole tone or whole step.	An interval spanning one semitone, the smallest step in standard Western music.
Category	intervals	intervals
Pronunciation	/ˈmeɪdʒə ˈsɛkənd/	/ˈmaɪnə ˈsɛkənd/
Origin	Latin (secundus, second)	Latin (secundus, second)
BPM	—	—
Synonyms	whole step whole tone tone	half step semitone half tone
Antonyms	minor second	major second
Usage	The melody rises by a major second from C to D at the start of the phrase.	The clash of a minor second between the two voices creates an agonising dissonance that demands resolution.

Definition: An interval spanning two semitones, equivalent to a whole tone or whole step.
Category: intervals
Pronunciation: /ˈmeɪdʒə ˈsɛkənd/
Origin: Latin (secundus, second)
Synonyms: whole step whole tone tone
Antonyms: minor second
Usage: The melody rises by a major second from C to D at the start of the phrase.

Definition: An interval spanning one semitone, the smallest step in standard Western music.
Category: intervals
Pronunciation: /ˈmaɪnə ˈsɛkənd/
Origin: Latin (secundus, second)
Synonyms: half step semitone half tone
Antonyms: major second
Usage: The clash of a minor second between the two voices creates an agonising dissonance that demands resolution.