# Yoruba Tone Trainer: Learn Yoruba Tones

> Learn Yoruba tones with live feedback: calibrate your voice range, then the app checks your pitch against the target tone level, with one named hint per mistake. The 3 tones (do, re, mi) on 15 syllables, then 12 real words including the five igba words. Free, no account, nothing ever leaves your device.

*Interactive tool: enter your values at https://toollantern.win/learn-yoruba-tones/ and results update instantly in your browser.*

## Frequently asked questions
### How many tones does Yoruba have?

Three level tones: high, mid, and low. They are levels, not shapes: each tone is one steady note, taught with the solfège names do (low), re (mid), mi (high).

### What do do, re, and mi mean in Yoruba?

They are the teaching names for the three tones, borrowed from musical solfège: low is do, mid is re, high is mi. If you can sing three notes, you can say the three tones.

### How are Yoruba tones written?

High takes the acute accent (kó), mid is unmarked (ko), and low takes the grave accent (kò). Only the high and low marks appear in writing: a vowel with no mark carries the mid tone.

### What are the five igba words?

Five different words on the same two syllables, told apart only by tone: ìgbà (low-low) time, ìgbá (low-high) garden egg, igbá (mid-high) calabash, igba (mid-mid) 200, igbà (mid-low) climber's belt. It is the most famous tone demonstration in Yoruba.

### Do Yoruba tones change in real sentences?

Each syllable keeps its written tone: there is no tone sandhi like in some other tone languages. What does change is the boundary: when a high and a low touch, the boundary glides a little, a rise before a high, a fall before a low. The app grades the steady level of each syllable and skips the glide.

### Why do I have to calibrate my voice range first?

The tones are three pitch levels, and levels are relative: a high note for a low voice can sit below a mid note for a high voice. Calibration slides from your lowest to your highest comfortable note so the app knows where your do, re, and mi sit.

### Do I need to know Yoruba to use the trainer?

No. The app starts from zero: it teaches the 3 tones on 15 syllables with tone marks and English glosses, and the words with their meanings. You need no Yoruba at all, just a microphone and a willingness to say kó, ko, and kò.

### Does the app judge my accent or how high my voice is?

Neither. It judges your pitch against the target tone level, measured inside your own calibrated range. A low voice and a high voice are graded the same way.

### Does the app record my voice?

No. Voice frames are analysed on your device and discarded immediately. Nothing is recorded, uploaded or shared, and the page security policy blocks connections to every outside server. The Offline proof panel shows the live request log to prove it.

### Does it work offline?

Yes, after your first visit. The app and all the lessons are saved on your device, so it works with no network at all. There is no model to download: pitch detection is pure signal processing that ships with the app.

### What is the difference between the high and mid tones?

Level alone: both are steady notes, high near the top of your range and mid in the middle. That is why calibration matters. Say high near the top and mid in the middle, and keep both steady.

### How do points, levels and badges work, and can I delete my progress?

Each matched tone is +10 points, and a perfect quiz round adds +20. Levels are New Voice, Tone Learner, Tone Star, and Master of Yoruba Tones. Tone pairs unlock at 50 points. Badges cover the first match, all 15 syllables, all 12 tone pairs, a perfect round, and a 7-day streak. To delete everything, open Offline proof on the home page and press Delete all my data, or open Settings and press Clear progress.

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Interactive version: https://toollantern.win/learn-yoruba-tones/