Mandarin pronunciation guides built around real learner mistakes

How to pronounce zh, ch, sh, and r in Chinese

8 words, 6 sentences. How to pronounce zh, ch, sh, and r in Chinese. A practical guide to Mandarin retroflex initials with tongue position tips, common substitutions, and sample words.

z, c, s vs zh, ch, sh: how to hear and pronounce the difference

10 words, 6 sentences. z, c, s vs zh, ch, sh: how to hear and pronounce the difference. Learn the contrast between flat alveolar sounds and retroflex sounds so Chinese words stop collapsing into one pattern.

How to pronounce j, q, and x in Mandarin

10 words, 6 sentences. How to pronounce j, q, and x in Mandarin. An English-first explanation of Mandarin j, q, and x with lip shape, tongue placement, and easy starter examples.

n vs ng: how to fix Mandarin nasal finals

8 words, 6 sentences. n vs ng: how to fix Mandarin nasal finals. A guide to front nasal -n and back nasal -ng endings, with words that train the difference clearly.

How to pronounce ü in Chinese

10 words, 6 sentences. How to pronounce ü in Chinese. Learn how Mandarin ü differs from plain u, with lip rounding cues and high-frequency example words.

Tone 2 vs Tone 3: what learners usually miss

10 words, 8 sentences. Tone 2 vs Tone 3: what learners usually miss. A compact guide to the rising second tone, the dipping third tone, and where learners flatten or over-dip them.

Third tone sandhi: why 你好 sounds like ní hǎo

12 words, 8 sentences. Third tone sandhi: why 你好 sounds like ní hǎo. Understand the most common third-tone sandhi pattern, where the first of two third tones changes before the second.

How tone change works for 一 and 不

12 words, 8 sentences. How tone change works for 一 and 不. A practical guide to how 一 and 不 change tone depending on the following syllable in Mandarin speech.

知道 (zhī dào)

Core practice page. 知道 means "to know". Learn the tone pattern, pronunciation focus, and common mistake for zhī dào.

吃饭 (chī fàn)

Core practice page. 吃饭 means "to eat a meal". Learn the tone pattern, pronunciation focus, and common mistake for chī fàn.

老师 (lǎo shī)

Core practice page. 老师 means "teacher". Learn the tone pattern, pronunciation focus, and common mistake for lǎo shī.

周末 (zhōu mò)

Core practice page. 周末 means "weekend". Learn the tone pattern, pronunciation focus, and common mistake for zhōu mò.

找到 (zhǎo dào)

Core practice page. 找到 means "to find". Learn the tone pattern, pronunciation focus, and common mistake for zhǎo dào.

聪明 (cōng míng)

Core practice page. 聪明 means "clever/smart". Learn the tone pattern, pronunciation focus, and common mistake for cōng míng.

请问 (qǐng wèn)

Core practice page. 请问 means "excuse me; may I ask". Learn the tone pattern, pronunciation focus, and common mistake for qǐng wèn.

去年 (qù nián)

Core practice page. 去年 means "last year". Learn the tone pattern, pronunciation focus, and common mistake for qù nián.