This paper aims to analyze pitch contours of four tones in Standard Chinese. It also studies the pitch variation of between tones and between tones and boundary tones through experimental methods. Results of analyses show that the specific phonetic tonal target can be a good method for describing their pitch characteristics. The results also show that six phonetic rules can explain the alteration and linking properties of tonal targets as follows: First, the high level tone Yinping of Standard Chinese is analyzed into [HH^], the rising tone Yangping into [M^H^], the fall rise or low dipping tone Shangsheng into [L^H], the falling tone Qusheng into [H^L^]. “H”, “M” and “L” refer to tonal pitch and the symbol “^” represents a phonetic target. Second, six phonetic rules are obtained from analyses of the test words and sentences. In Standard Chinese, the deletion rule can be applied to non-target low boundary tone “L%” followed by any target pitch. The addition rule makes two pitch point raised from original pitch or gets adjacent tones to neutralize each other. Two tonal targets or two non-targets merge into one by the merge rule. Some non-target pitch located between two targets is interpolated by the interpolation rule. Some tones delay their target to the following syllables by the delay rule on specific conditions. In yes/no question, tonal targets rise gradually by the interrogative boundary tone “H^%” and the spread rule.
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