Downstep is a phenomenon in tone languages in which if two syllables have the same tone (for example, both with a high tone or both with a low tone), the second syllable is lower in pitch than the first. Downstep proper, or non-automatic downstep, is another phenomenon found in many African languages such as Igbo. for an overview of downstep in African languages.) If two high tones are in succeeding syllables (thus in the sequence H H), and the second is lower than the first, there is said to be a downstep. However, when it occurs between two high tones, it downsteps the following tone: