Mandarin has four distinct tones which are used to clarify the meaning of words. Proper use of the tones is essential for speaking and understanding the language.
Tones should be practiced right from the beginning of your Mandarin study. When learning new vocabulary you must memorize the proper tone, otherwise the word is only half-learned.
Beside vocabulary development, tones can also be practiced on their own. When doing these exercises, listen first and then repeat. Listen and repeat many times until you can mimic the audio files exactly.
Practicing the Four Tones
| All Tones | First | Second | Third | Fourth |
| pa | pā | pá | pǎ | pà |
| pi | pī | pí | pǐ | pì |
| pei | pēi | péi | pěi | pèi |
| pai | pāi | pái | pǎi | pài |
