19. The upper second tone. It is a high even tone without deflection, and forms a principal element in producing that curious singing effect in many dialects, which the foreigner notices in first listening to Chinese pronunciation.

Ex.水 sz, water.好 hau, good.
火 hú, fire.討 t’au, beg.
許 hé, promise.點 tíen, point (verb or subs.)

20. Examples of the upper second tone standing last in a group of two or three.

Tones.Accent.
p.s.恩典un tíen, favour,pen.
酗酒h’iúng tsieu, intoxicated,„
s.s.滾水kwun sz, boiling water, pen.
頂好ting hau, the best possible,„
k.s.救火kieú hú, save from fire,ult.
要緊yau kiun, important,„
j.s.作主tsok tsû, to be master,„
出首ts’eh seu, accuser,„
p.s.門口mun k’eu, door-way,„
財主dzé tsû, rich man,„
s.s.勉强míen k’iáng, by compulsion, (c‘h)„
耳𦖋ní tú, ears,„
k.s.面孔míen k’óng, face,„
j.s.折手zeh seu, maimed hand,„
曆本lih pun, almanac,„
p.j.s.燒熱水sau nyih sz, prepare hot water,„
p.k.s.唔要緊m yau kiun, not important,ant.
j.j.s.勿缺少veh k’iöh sau, not deficient, (c‘h)ult.
j.j.s.實骨子seh kweh tsz, in reality,pen.

Obs. i. The last syllable, when preceded by a word in the upper first tone, is usually heard to fall in key, as in the first two of the above examples.

Obs. ii. In some examples, the tone under illustration often changes into a quick falling tone, as in 救火 kieu‘ ’hú, pronounced kieu‘ hú, and 勉强 pronounced míen‘ k’iáng.

21. Examples of the upper second tone in the antepenultimate.

Tones.Accent.
s.p.p.請先生ts’ing síen-sáng, engage a teacher,ant.
s.s.p.考舉人k’au kü-niun, be examined for Master of Arts decree,pen.
s.s.k.手低下seu tí-au, under (my) control,ant.
s.j.k.打磕瞌táng k’eh-ts’óng, nod the head when sleeping,ult.
s.p.p.火輪船hú-lun zén, steamer,„
s.k.k.土地廟t’ú-dí miau, temple of the Lares arvales,„
s.j.s.考勿起k’au-veh-k’í, cannot venture to be examined,„

Obs. For purposes of accentuation 下, 打, and 勿 in the above examples may be called enclitics or proclitics. As such they leave the emphasis to rest on the significant words.

22. Examples of the second tone in the penultimate of a group of two.