Word Guide
How to pronounce 学生 (xué sheng)
学生 means "student". Use this guide to lock in the tone pattern, articulation target, and the mistake most learners still make.
Short answer
学生 is pronounced xué sheng and means "student". The key target is tone contrast, with the tone pattern Tone 2 + Tone 5.
Why learners miss it
Learners often miss 学生 because the first syllable often sounds too low, which weakens the Tone 2 identity.
Self-test
Record 学生, then check whether your pitch contour and articulation match xué sheng.
Pinyin
xué sheng
Tone Pattern
Tone 2 + Tone 5
Pronunciation Focus
toneContrast
How to say it
Guided fix
How to shape this pronunciation
What to do
Say xué slowly first, then keep the target sound steady as you move through the rest of 学生.
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 xué sheng once slowly and once at normal speed. If the target sound disappears when you speed up, it is not stable yet.
Phonetic Breakdown
x+ue_sh+eng
Most common error
Error summary
The first syllable often sounds too low, which weakens the Tone 2 identity.
Focus area
ToneContrast
Difficulty
Easy
HSK Level
HSK1
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