AMI OHUN - TONE MARKS

There are 3 distinct tones in Yoruba language,

they are ;

1. AMI ISALẸ - low tone

This is known as (do) and it is represented with ( \ )

2. AMI AARIN - middle tone

This is knows as (re) and is is represented with (-).
However, this is now denoted by the absence of a
tonal mark.

3. AMI OKE - high tone

This is known as (mi) and it is represented with ( / )

There are different words in yoruba language

that sometimes create confusion because of their
autography. For words that has the same spellings
and different meanings, we use the tone marks to
differentiate their pronunciation.

 Apeere - Examples
WORDS TONE MARKS MEANING
igba re mi calabash
igba do do time

ogun re mi inheritance
ogun re re war
ogun do do medicine
ogun do mi god of iron

owo re mi money
owo do do business

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ọwọ re mi hand
ọwọ do do respect
ọwọ re do broom

iṢẹ re mi profession
iṢẹ do mi poverty

ori re mi head
ori do mi shea butter

ọkọ re do car
oko re mi hoe
ọkọ re re husband
oko re re farm

ilu do mi city
ilu do do drum

ere do do gain
ere re mi play
ere do re statue

 Tonal Mark “do (\)” examples

WORD MEANING
ka to read
ra to buy
lo to use
ju to throw
dodo plantain
ẹdọ kidney
imọ knowledge
eto preparation

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 Tonal Mark “re (-)” examples
WORD MEANING
lọ to go
Ṣe to do
aṢọ cloth
ata pepper
mo lọ I went
ago clock
ọmọ child

 Tonal Mark “mi (/)” examples

WORD MEANING
ri to see
gbe to lift
mu to pick
sun to shift
fọ to break
ki to greet
Ṣi to open
Ṣare run
Ṣibi spoon

It is pertinent to note that, some polysyllabic

words in yoruba language have different tone
marks, while some have the same tone marks.

APEERE
WORD TONE MARKS MEANING
Awakọ re re do driver
ewurẹ re mi mi goat
agbẹ do do farmer
salubata mi mi do do sandal
oṢupa do do mi moon

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opin do re end
odindin re re re whole
ẹnikan re do re someone
oorun do do do sun
ofurufu do re re mi sky
afẹfẹ re mi mi air

TONE MARKS TRAINING

DO RE MI
MI RE DO
MI DO RE
RE MI DO
MI MI DO
DO MI MI
DO MI RE
RE DO MI
MI RE RE
RE MI RE MI
MI DO RE MI
RE MI DO RE
MI DO RE MI
DO MI RE DO
DO MI RE MI DO
RE MI DO MI RE
MI DO RE MI MI
RE RE RE DO DO

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