tonal language
Meaning through melody
A tonal language is one in which pitch distinguishes word meaning—the same syllables spoken at different pitches become different words.
Mandarin Chinese is the most widely spoken tonal language, with four tones that can turn a single syllable into four distinct words.
Most East and Southeast Asian languages are tonal, as are many African languages.
English uses pitch for emphasis and emotion but not to change word meaning.
- CantoneseSouthern Chinese dialect
- HmongSoutheast Asian ethnic group
- pitchFrequency of sound
- YorubaNigerian people and language
- IgboNigerian people and language
phonology · sound system · intonation · Navajo · native speaker · Thai · syllable structure · prosody · Vietnamese · Burmese · sing-song · spoken word · Zulu · Mandarin · pitch range · oral traditions · vowel · falling