Editing Fon language (section)

=== Tone ===
Fon has two phonemic [[tone (linguistics)|tones]]: high and low. High is realized as rising (low–high) after a voiced consonant. Basic disyllabic words have all four possibilities: high–high, high–low, low–high, and low–low.

In longer [[phonological word]]s, such as verb and noun phrases, a high tone tends to persist until the final syllable, which, if it has a phonemic low tone,  becomes falling (high–low). Low tones disappear between high tones, but their effect remains as a [[downstep]]. Rising tones (low–high) simplify to high after high (without triggering downstep) and to low before high.

{{interlinear|indent=2|lang1=fon|ipa2=yes|ipa3=yes|glossing4=yes
|Hwevísatɔ́, é ko hɔ asón we.
|/xʷèví-sà-tɔ́ é kò xɔ̀ àsɔ̃́ wè/
|[xʷèvísáꜜtɔ́‖ é kó ꜜxɔ̂ àsɔ̃́ wê‖]
|fish-sell-agent s/he PERF buy crab two
|"The fishmonger, she bought two crabs."}}

In [[Ouidah]], a rising or falling tone is realized as a mid tone. For example, {{lang|fon|mǐ}} 'we, you', phonemically high-tone {{IPA|/bĩ́/}} but phonetically rising because of the voiced consonant, is generally mid-tone {{IPA|[mĩ̄]}} in Ouidah.