a) Low tones are generally unmarked (but see d below).

b) The first High tone in a word is marked with an acute accent.

c) High tones following immediately a marked High tone are left unmarked (unless the High tone that follows is downstepped, see g).

d) The first Low tone following a High tone is marked with a grave accent.

e) Low tones following immediately a marked Low tone is left unmarked.

f) A High tone following a marked or unmarked Low tone is marked with an acute accent.

g) A downstepped High tone occuring within a word - always immediately following a marked or unmarked High tone - is marked with an acute accent.

h) Downstep occuring between two seperately written words is marked with an apostrophy before the downstepped first syllable of the second word.
 

In short:

• Initial tone: Only High is marked.
• Non-initial tones: Only tone change is marked.
• Any high tone mark following another High tone mark within the same word without an intervening Low tone is interpreted as Downstep.

Note on tone recognition: Sentence-final tone lowering must not be confounded with downstep. Only "structural downstep" is marked.
 

Full notation	Economic notation	Rule
õàbaá	õbaá	a
oàkuánuá	okuánu	b, c
paáyaà	paáyaà	d
woánàkõá	woánàkõá	d, f
moánàkaàsaá	moánàkasaá	b, d, f, e
meà sä!kaá	me säkaá	g
meá !kuánuá	meá 'kuánu	b, c, h