We are all familiar with speaking in the right tone of voice. But for some languages different tones make words have different meanings. And it may surprise you which languages use tones. Tones can high or low, rising or falling, or even creaky, broken or breathy.
English English speakers often use tones to convey emotional response in words. When you ask the simple question "What?", your tone will convey whether you are annoyed (falling tone), surprised (long rising), neutral (rising), confused (falling rising), exasperated (mid level), put upon (rising falling). Sometimes this is shown by combining exclamation marks with question marks in writing. For example, what?! or what!? |
Norwegian
The Norwegian language uses tones to differentiate words of similar pronunciation. There are two tones. Tone 1 starts with a low, flat pitch, then rises. Tone 2 starts with a high, sharply falling pitch, then rises. For example, bønder (farmers) is pronounced with tone 1, but bønner (beans) is pronounced with tone 2.
Swedish also uses two tones, which it calls accents. These tones give Norwegian and Swedish their sing-song quality.
Croatian
The Croatian language has tones in the form of pitch accent. A short falling tone is shown as ȁ, a long falling accent is shown as â, a short rising accent is shown as à and a long rising accent is shown as á. Bosnian and Serbian also have this type of pitch accent as well.
The Croatian, Serbian and Bosnian word for "winter" is zíma (with a long rising accent). However, the Croatian and Serbian word for "in the winter" is uzîma (with a long falling accent), and in Bosnian it is ûzima (with a long falling accent).
Mandarin Chinese tones
Mandarin has four tones, five tones if you count the neutral tone (which is unmarked).
• ā indicates a high level tone. Tip: this tone is a steady high sound that sounds as if it is being sung.
• á indicates a rising tone, mid level to high level. Tip: this is the tone of the question "What?!"
• ǎ indicates a low falling or falling-rising tone. Usually mid-low to low, or simply low. A third tone at the end of a sentence or before a pause is a full falling-rising tone: mid-low to low, then rising up to mid-high.
• à indicates a falling tone, high level to low level, a sharp fall. Tip: this is the tone of the curt command "Stop!"
• a indicates a neutral tone, pronounced in a light and short manner.
Cantonese Chinese tones
Cantonese is more complicated with six tones. The first tone differs depending on whether it is Hong Kong Cantonese or Mainland Cantonese.
• ā indicates a high level tone ā (Hong Kong) or high falling tone à (high to mid)
• á indicates a rising tone, mid to high
• a indicates a mid level tone
• àh indicates a low falling tone, mid low to low or sometimes simply low
• áh indicates a low rising tone, low to mid
• ah indicates a low level tone
Shanghainese Chinese
Shanghainese has only three tones. They are high, mid and low. You only need to mark the high tone because the tones follow a strict set of rules. For a start, a voiced consonant is always followed by a low tone, then a high tone and mid tones. An initial mid tone is always followed by a high tone, then mid tones. An initial high tone is always followed by mid tones.
For example:
zaunheinin (Shanghai person) is low-high-mid
aodaliya (Australia) is mid-high-mid-mid
kónkonchitso (bus) is high-mid-mid-mid
Japanese tones
Not many people realise that Japanese also uses tones to differentiate words. Japanese tones are high (á), mid (a) and low (à). For example, háshì means chopsticks and hàshí means bridge. Nìhóǹ means Japan but níhòǹ means two sticks.
Hmong tones
Hmong words do not end in consonants so they can use final consonants to indicate tones.
• unmarked indicates a mid tone, eg. po (spleen)
• b indicates a high level tone eg. pob (ball)
• m indicates a low checked, creaky tone eg. pom (to see)
• d indicates a mid falling then rising tone, this only occurs at the end of phrases or sentences eg. pod (to see)
• j indicates a high falling tone eg. poj (female)
• v indicates a mid rising tone eg. pov (throw)
• s indicates a low level tone eg. pos (thorn)
• g indicates a mid falling, breathy tone, eg. pog (grandmother)
Burmese tones
The Burmese language has four tones:
• a indicates low level tone
• ā indicates high breathy tone
• ã indicates a high creaky or tense tone
• aq indicates high stop with a final glottal stop
Vietnamese tones
Vietnamese has six tones. The fifth tone (ã) is pronounced differently between North and South Vietnam.
• a indicates a mid level tone
• á indicates a mid to high level tone, tense voice
• à indicates a mid to low level tone, breathy voice
• ả indicates a mid to low level tone, may rise again to mid level at end of sentence or if stressed. Voice moves from normal to tense voice.
• ã indicates a mid to high level tone, with glottal stop break (ʔ) in the middle, creaky voice
• ạ indicates a mid low quickly to low tone, ends with glottal stop (ʔ), tense voice
In South Vietnam, ã is pronounced the same as ả, mid to low level tone. It may rise again to mid level at end of sentence or if stressed. Voice moves from normal to tense voice.
Yoruba tones
Yoruba has three tones:
• á indicates a high level tone
• a indicates a mid level tone • à indicates a low level tone
For example, o bẹ́ (he jumped), o bẹ (he is forward), o bẹ̀ (he asked for pardon). These tones can be so distinctive, that paired with ritual phrases, they can be drummed on "talking drums" and understood across distances very clearly.
