High, Low and Downstep
Two tones: high ´ and low `. After a high tone, another high can sound a bit lower.
How It Works
Most descriptions give Igbo two level tones. Teaching books often mark them this way:
| Tone | Mark | Example |
|---|---|---|
| High | acute ´ | ákwà “cloth” starts high |
| Low | grave ` | àkwà “bed” starts low |
When a high tone follows another high tone, it can sound slightly lower. This is called downstep. Courses disagree about how to write it: the Harvard course uses a third mark for it, and some other books mark tone differently. These lessons use the two-mark scheme and show no downstep marks, because the main job is to hear the difference between high and low.
Marks help you study, but they do not guarantee a pronunciation. Listen to a speaker. Because everyday text shows no marks, context decides which pitch pattern, and so which word, is meant.
Examples (3)
- akwa
egg, cloth, bed or crying
Four pitch patterns share one spelling, and context decides which word is meant.
- Ana m eri akwa.
I am eating an egg.
Eat points to egg, so context decides the meaning.
- Ada na-ebe akwa.
Ada is crying.
The verb ebe points to crying, so context decides the meaning.
How It Connects
Learn This First
These are the names of the pitches, so learners first need to know that Igbo uses tone.
Related Patterns
Practice High, Low and Downstep in Bubblegum
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