Tone Changes Meaning

Level 1

á is high, a mid and à low.

How It Works

High, mid and low are contrasting pitch categories. Acute and grave accents mark high and low respectively; mid normally remains unmarked. Dotted vowels retain their letter identity when accented: ọ́, ọ, ọ̀ display three tones on the same vowel. A syllabic nasal can bear tone too.

Compare O ti dé, “You have arrived,” with Ó ti dé, “He or she has arrived.” The subject's tone changes its reference. Àpò kékeré, “a small bag,” includes low, high and mid tones.

In the fully marked spelling used here, an unaccented vowel normally indicates mid tone. If a text generally omits accents, their absence cannot establish intended tone. Grammatical constructions can also affect tone, so learn complete phrases alongside individual words.

Examples (3)

  1. O ti dé.

    You have arrived.

    Mid-tone o addresses one person.

  2. Ó ti dé.

    He or she has arrived.

    High-tone ó refers to a third-person singular participant.

  3. Àpò kékeré.

    A small bag.

    Noun-phrase fragment showing low à, high é and unaccented mid vowels.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Tone Changes MeaningLevel 1

Learn This First

Acute marks high; grave marks low; no accent normally marks mid.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.