Hold the highest, flattest note you’ve got — like sustaining one long note in a song. No rise, no fall, just steady.

English ear: when you say “Happy Birthday,” the “Ha–” is basically a first tone.

Shoots from the middle up to the top — like the lift in your voice when you ask, surprised, “Really?”

English ear: when you say “What!?” in disbelief, the “Wha–” is basically a second tone.

First dips to the bottom, then climbs a little — like a hesitant “well…” before a reluctant answer.

English ear: when you say “Did you?” the “Did–” is basically the isolated third tone.

In a full sentence, a third tone is usually said as a low tone instead — no dip, no rise:

Drops fast from the top to the bottom — like a sharp, one-word command: “No!” It can sound blunt, so remember to smile while you say it.

English ear: try saying “Shit!” — the “Shi–” is basically a fourth tone.

Short and light — barely a quarter beat, with no fixed pitch of its own; it just slides off whatever tone came before it. Too brief to change a word’s meaning, so don’t bother memorizing an exact shape.

English ear: when you say “a bike,” that “a” is basically a neutral tone.