Cantonese tones: six-tone chart & audio examples

The six Cantonese tones, with audio

Listen for the named syllable in each recording. These play complete phrases, not six versions of one word. High and low are relative to the speaker’s own voice.

Jyutping tone numbers 1–6
Tone	Pitch pattern	Listen for
1	High, level	do1First syllable of 多謝 · do1 ze6 Tap play to hear the saved app recording.
2	Rises high	hou2Second syllable of 你好 · nei5 hou2 Tap play to hear the saved app recording.
3	Middle, level	baai3Second syllable of 拜拜 · baai1 baai3 Tap play to hear the saved app recording.
4	Low, falling	san4Second syllable of 早晨 · zou2 san4 Tap play to hear the saved app recording.
5	Low, rising	nei5First syllable of 你好 · nei5 hou2 Tap play to hear the saved app recording.
6	Low, level	ze6Second syllable of 多謝 · do1 ze6 Tap play to hear the saved app recording.

Jyutping tone numbers 1–6

Tone

Pitch pattern

Listen for

High, level

do1First syllable of 多謝 · do1 ze6

Rises high

hou2Second syllable of 你好 · nei5 hou2

Middle, level

baai3Second syllable of 拜拜 · baai1 baai3

Low, falling

san4Second syllable of 早晨 · zou2 san4

Low, rising

nei5First syllable of 你好 · nei5 hou2

Low, level

ze6Second syllable of 多謝 · do1 ze6

Hear the difference inside a phrase

拜拜baai1 baai3bye

baai1 → baai3. The sound spelling stays the same: the first syllable is high and level, the second is middle and level.

你好nei5 hou2hello

nei5 → hou2. Both rise, but tone 5 has a lower rise than tone 2. The sound spellings also differ, so this is not a minimal pair.

For the three level tones, compare 1 (high), 3 (middle) and 6 (low). For the two rising tones, compare 2 (rises high) and 5 (a lower rise). A tone number is a listening cue, not a measure of loudness.

The six tone patterns

High and low are relative to the speaker’s voice; high does not mean loud. These are useful reference shapes, not a demand to match another person’s exact voice pitch.

The links play complete phrases. Listen for the named syllable in each one; these are not six versions of the same word.

Tone 1: high and level. 多謝 contains do1; hear the complete phrase in the linked recording below.
Tone 2: rises high. 你好 contains hou2; hear the complete phrase in the linked recording below.
Tone 3: middle and level. 拜拜 contains baai3; hear the complete phrase in the linked recording below.
Tone 4: starts low and falls. 早晨 contains san4; hear the complete phrase in the linked recording below.
Tone 5: rises from low toward the middle. 你好 contains nei5; hear the complete phrase in the linked recording below.
Tone 6: low and level. 多謝 contains ze6; hear the complete phrase in the linked recording below.

thank youdo1 ze6多謝 hellonei5 hou2你好 byebaai1 baai3拜拜 good morningzou2 san4早晨

Hear a contrast in a familiar phrase

你好 — nei5 hou2 — hello. Compare tone 5’s lower rise with tone 2’s higher rise. Play the whole greeting before repeating it.

拜拜 — baai1 baai3 — bye. The letters repeat, but the tone numbers change. Listen for a high level syllable followed by a middle level one.

hellonei5 hou2你好 byebaai1 baai3拜拜

Does Cantonese have six or nine tones?

Both counts appear because traditional descriptions count three “entering” tones separately: syllables ending in -p, -t or -k. Jyutping includes those syllables within its six-number system. You do not need to add tone numbers 7, 8 and 9 when reading Jyutping.

In 聽日見 (ting1 jat6 gin3), jat6 ends in -t and still uses tone number 6. Hear the whole “see you tomorrow” recording, keeping that ending and its tone together.

see you tomorrowting1 jat6 gin3聽日見

One small listening check

Listen to 拜拜 once without reading. Which syllable stays higher? Then check baai1 baai3 and replay: the first has tone 1, the second tone 3. Then try the Tone Lab below for a listening quiz.

Keep a recording beside the numbers. A pitch label helps you notice a difference; reading it alone cannot tell you whether your spoken tone matched.

byebaai1 baai3拜拜

Cantonese tones: the six Jyutping numbers explained

The six Cantonese tones, with audio

Hear the difference inside a phrase

The six tone patterns

Hear a contrast in a familiar phrase

Does Cantonese have six or nine tones?

One small listening check

Further reading

Keep learning.

Cantonese tones: the six Jyutping numbers explained

The six Cantonese tones, with audio

Hear the difference inside a phrase

The six tone patterns

Hear a contrast in a familiar phrase

Does Cantonese have six or nine tones?

One small listening check

Keep exploring

Further reading

Keep learning.