>However as English isn't tonal, there's a larger margin for error True. The tones are critical in a way that can be very difficult for non-native speakers to

>However as English isn't tonal, there's a larger margin for error True. The tones are critical in a way that can be very difficult for non-native speakers to grasp. Here are the four tones used with the words mā (mother), má (hemp), mǎ (horse) and mà (to curse) with an extra for ma indicating a question http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRkCf6Djprs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRkCf6Djprs. And in that video she pronounces them far clearer than would be used in actual conversation.