Back to Third tone sandhi in Mandarin

Word Guide

Tier 1 Practice Page

How to pronounce 水果 (shuǐ guǒ)

水果 means "fruit". Use this guide to lock in the tone pattern, articulation target, and the mistake most learners still make.

Short answer

水果 is pronounced shuǐ guǒ and means "fruit". The key target is tone sandhi, with the tone pattern Tone 2 + Tone 3.

Why learners miss it

Learners often miss 水果 because the first syllable often stays too low and breaks the sandhi rhythm.

Self-test

Record 水果, then check whether your pitch contour and articulation match shuǐ guǒ.

Pinyin

shuǐ guǒ

Tone Pattern

Tone 2 + Tone 3

Pronunciation Focus

toneSandhi

How to say it

Guided fix

How to shape this pronunciation

What to do

Say shuǐ slowly first, then keep the target sound steady as you move through the rest of 水果.

What to avoid

Do not let the whole word flatten into one rushed shape. Keep the target consonant or tone contrast clear.

What to listen for

The key sound should stay distinct instead of collapsing toward the nearest easy English habit.

Quick self-check

Say shuǐ guǒ once slowly and once at normal speed. If the target sound disappears when you speed up, it is not stable yet.

Phonetic Breakdown

sh+ui_g+uo

Most common error

Error summary

The first syllable often stays too low and breaks the sandhi rhythm.

Focus area

ToneSandhi

Difficulty

Moderate

HSK Level

HSK1

Related pronunciation rules

Practice similar examples

Hear the same pattern in sentences

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