Tone Discrimination

Attune your auditory perception to the four pitch contours and neutral tone through visual pitch notation and native vocal drills.

TONE 1 · 阴平55

High, steady, sustained pitch — like singing a prolonged note.

妈mā(Mother)

TONE 2 · 阳平35

Starts mid-range and glides upward, like asking "What?" or "Really?"

麻má(Hemp)

TONE 3 · 上声214

Descends deep into the lower vocal register before slightly rebounding.

马mǎ(Horse)

TONE 4 · 去声51

Drops sharply and decisively from the top to the bottom of your range.

骂mà(To scold)

TONE NEUTRAL · 轻声0

Short, unstressed, and light — whispered at the end of a word.

吗ma(Question particle)