Many Sino-Tibetan languages and Tai–Kadai languages, which may appear to non-speakers be "monosyllabic", use tone to distinguish morphemes, One syllable in different tones has different meanings.
mˈɛni sˈiːnoʊɾɪbˈɛtən lˈæŋɡwɪdʒᵻz ænd tˈaɪ kˈædaɪ lˈæŋɡwɪdʒᵻz, wˌɪtʃ mˈeɪ ɐpˈɪɹ tə nˈɑːnspˈiːkɚz bˈiː "mˌɑːnoʊsɪlˈæbɪk", jˈuːs tˈoʊn tə dɪstˈɪŋɡwɪʃ mˈɔːɹfiːmz, wˈʌn sˈɪləbəl ɪn dˈɪfɹənt tˈoʊnz hɐz dˈɪfɹənt mˈiːnɪŋz.