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In the `` typical tone language '', tonal morphophonemics is of the same order of complexity as consonantal morphophonemics.

The phonemic systems which must support these morphophonemic systems, however, are very different.

The inventory of tones is much smaller, and commonly the contrasts range along one single dimension, pitch level.

Consonantal systems are not merely larger, they are multidimensional.

Morphophonemic rules may be thought of as joining certain points in the system.

The possibilities in the consonantal system are very numerous, and only a small portion of them are actually used.

Phonemes connected by a morphophonemic rule commonly show a good bit of phonetic similarity, possible because of the several dimensions of contrast in the system.

Tonal morphophonemics, in a common case, can do nothing but either raise or lower the tone.

The possibilities are few, and the total number of rules may be considerably greater.

Often, therefore, there are a number of rules having the same effect, and commonly other sets of rules as well, having the opposite effect.

Tonal morphophonemics is much more confusing to the beginning analyst than consonantal morphophonemics, even when the total number of rules is no greater.