Speak Cantonese clearly: free pronunciation test
Find out how clear your Cantonese pronunciation is. Take the free Cantonese pronunciation test, get a score for every word you say, and learn the sounds Cantonese learners find hardest, from the six tones to final p, t and k.
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The hardest Cantonese sounds for learners
Six tones
Cantonese has six main tones, numbered 1 to 6 in Jyutping: high level, mid rising, mid level, low falling, low rising and low level. The same syllable with a different tone is a different word: 詩 si1 (poem), 史 si2 (history), 試 si3 (to try), 時 si4 (time), 市 si5 (market), 事 si6 (matter). Many tones are level, so keep the pitch steady instead of letting it slide.
Final p, t and k
Cantonese keeps the final stops that Mandarin lost: 食 sik6 (to eat), 碟 dip6 (plate), 白 baak6 (white), 一 jat1 (one). They are not released: close your lips or tongue at the end and stop the air, with no puff. The final consonant alone can tell words apart: 濕 sap1 (wet), 失 sat1 (to lose) and 塞 sak1 (to block).
N, l and ng
Standard Cantonese separates n and l at the start of a syllable (你 nei5 you, 李 lei5 a family name) and starts some words with ng (我 ngo5 I, 銀 ngan4 silver). In relaxed Hong Kong speech many people say n as l and drop the ng. That is widely understood, but careful speech keeps the standard sounds, so give n and ng their full sound.