There are four tones in Mandarin Chinese Pinyin, plus one neutral tone(or called “no tone”).

First tone in Chinese Pinyin
The first tone is marked as a straight line like this¯. It has a long and sustained sound (as if singing a note).

Second tone in Chinese Pinyin
The second tone is marked upwards like this . It is a rising tone (start from the lower part of your voice, then go up).

Third tone in Chinese Pinyin
The third tone is marked down and up like this ˇ. It is a low and curved tone. Try to go as low as you can and then bounce up.

Fourth in Chinese Pinyin
The fourth tone is marked downwards like this. It is a falling tone (start from the grating highest part of your voice, then go down, as if exclaiming).

Neutral in Chinese Pinyin
The neutral tone has no mark. It is a short and light tone.

Where should I mark the tones?
Tones should be marked on a vowel. If a word has more than one vowel, the tone should be marked on the main vowel of the word. Vowels are listed in the following order: a, o, e, i, u and ü. As the vowel ‘a’ appears first in this list, the tone in the word liao should be marked on the vowel ‘a’.

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