pronouncekit

TONE

mà: fourth tone: sharply falling

Learn the Mandarin fourth tone, a strong fall from high to low. See its contour and practice mà, shì and bù.

mà12345

Mouth & tongue

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Vocal folds: vibrating

TongueTeethUvula

Simplified human pronunciation. The small uvula hangs from the palate; it is not the vocal folds. The wave indicates voicing.

Nasal: the soft palate lowers; air exits the nose

Sound to demonstrate
Tone

Falling sharply from high to low, around 51.

Voice settings

The mouth starts slightly open. Movement is slowed for observation; the synthetic sound plays once at its original speed. Pause holds the current mouth shape; reset returns to the relaxed position. The panda is a symbolic teaching aid for human pronunciation, not animal anatomy. A simplified teaching model, not a measured or anatomically validated simulation. It shows the soft palate lowering for nasal sounds, but not airflow. Single syllables use eSpeak NG, a synthetic voice on your device. Its pitch range is narrower than natural speech, so use the tone diagrams and word buttons as well. Words and sentences use a voice from your browser or device when one is available. No native recordings are bundled.

Words to practice

Sentence to practice

Listen and compare

High and falling on the first word; low and dipped on the second.

Pinyin here shows dictionary tones. Spoken tones change in some contexts, such as nǐ hǎo; see the lessons on tone changes.

What you are learning

The fourth tone starts at the top of your range and falls quickly to the bottom. It is often short and decisive.

What your mouth is doing

Begin high, then let the pitch drop firmly during the vowel. It does not need more air or more force; pitch alone carries it.

Tone is pitch from the vocal folds, so the panda’s mouth shows the vowels and consonants, not the tone.

Compared with English

A firm English “No!” or “Stop!” has this falling shape. Use the fall, but do not sound angry, as this tone is neutral in Mandarin.

Build the sound, step by step

  1. Say a firm “No!” and notice the pitch fall.
  2. Apply that fall to à, starting high.
  3. Say shì, bù and qù, then a short phrase: bú qù.

What to watch for

  • Starting at mid height shortens the fall. Begin high.
  • Falling only a little sounds like a weak first tone.

Related lessons

Keep practicing

References & editorial notes

PronounceKit wrote this lesson as practical guidance for English speakers, based on the references below. The comparisons are editorial teaching suggestions. It describes common Mainland Standard Mandarin patterns, not every accent or regional variety, and it has not been independently reviewed by a pronunciation specialist or Mandarin teacher.

Published 5 November 2026