pronouncekit

TONE

má: second tone: rising

Learn the Mandarin second tone, a clear rise from mid to high. See its contour and practice má, xué and rén.

má12345

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

Rising from mid to high, around 35.

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

A direct rise on the first word; a low, dipped start 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 second tone rises steadily from the middle of your range to the top.

What your mouth is doing

Pitch rises through the vowel. The start is not low: it begins around the middle of your range and rises without a preceding dip.

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

Compared with English

The rise of an English question, “What?” or “Really?”, gives the idea. In Mandarin it fits inside one syllable and carries no question meaning, so it stays the same in statements.

Build the sound, step by step

  1. Say “Huh?” as a surprised question.
  2. Apply that rise to á, starting at mid height.
  3. Say rén and xué in short statements, without sounding uncertain.

What to watch for

  • Dipping first makes it sound like third tone. Start directly on the rise.
  • Rising too late or too little can sound flat. Reach the top of your range.

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