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Mandarin Tones and Pronunciation

In Mandarin, the pitch of your voice is part of the word. Meet the four tones and the neutral tone, and see how one sound, ma, can mean four different things.

⏱️ 15 min 🎯 13 activities Teachers Not yet rated Students Not yet rated

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What you'll cover

Why tones matter 🗣️

Mandarin Chinese is a **tonal** language. The **pitch** of your voice is part of the word: the same sounds said with a different tone can mean completely different things. There are **four tones**, plus a light **neutral** tone. Saying them correctly is a graded part of speaking, so this module is where you start.

The four tones 🎵

Each tone has its own shape. Learn to hear and say them:

Does pitch change meaning? ⚖️

In Mandarin the tone is part of the word. This is very different from English:

Match the tone to its shape 🔗

  • Tone 1
  • Tone 2
  • Tone 3
  • Tone 4
  • A high, level tone
  • A rising tone
  • A dipping tone that falls then rises
  • A sharp falling tone

Which tone? 🔍

Which tone rises, like asking a question in English?

  • Tone 2
  • Tone 1
  • Tone 3
  • Tone 4

One sound, four words 🐴

The most famous example is the syllable **ma**. With **tone 1** (mā) it is 妈, mother. With **tone 2** (má) it is 麻, hemp. With **tone 3** (mǎ) it is 马, horse. With **tone 4** (mà) it is 骂, to scold. In the **neutral** tone, ma (吗) turns a sentence into a question.

Match the syllable to its meaning 🔀

  • mā
  • má
  • mǎ
  • mà
  • mother
  • hemp
  • horse
  • to scold

True about tones? ✅

Select the TWO statements that are TRUE about Mandarin tones.

  • There are four main tones, plus a neutral tone
  • The tone can change the meaning of a word
  • Tones are optional and do not change anything
  • English words all have fixed tones

Order the tones 🪜

An interactive activity.

Complete the facts 🧩

Mandarin is a _____ language, so the pitch is part of the word. There are four main tones plus a _____ tone. Tone 1 is high and _____. Tone 2 _____. The syllable ma with tone 3 means _____.

tonal neutral level rises horse silent strong falls mother scold

Spot the true statements 🖍️

An interactive activity.

Hear the tone 🧭

An interactive activity.

Explain the tones ✍️

An interactive activity.