Free Cantonese pronunciation checker
Free Cantonese Pronunciation Test: check every word you say
Read five short Cantonese sentences aloud, with Jyutping under each one, or type any word you want to check. You get a score for every word, an overall score with accuracy, fluency and completeness, and a list of words to practise first.
Read this aloud:
媽媽今日去街市買菜。
Pronunciation: maa1 maa1 gam1 jat6 heoi3 gaai1 si5 maai5 coi3.
Listen for: Cantonese tones (maa1, maai5, coi3)
Tap to record
Your recording is sent securely for scoring and is not stored by Flalingo.
Scores come from a standard native-speaker model for this language, so regional accents may score a little lower.
How to check your Cantonese pronunciation
Each sentence in this Cantonese pronunciation test is built around something learners find hard: the six tones, final p, t and k, n, l and ng, long aa versus short a, and the rounded vowels eo, oe and yu. Read it aloud and a speech model trained on native Cantonese speakers compares every word you say with the text.
You get an overall score from 0 to 100, plus accuracy, fluency and completeness. Every word gets its own score, so you can see which ones sound off and start there. You can also type your own Cantonese text in Chinese characters, up to 160 characters, and check it the same way.
How the test works
Read five sentences aloud
Each sentence is short and built around sounds that learners of this language find hard. You can also type your own text, up to 160 characters, or tap one of the hard words to try.
AI scores every word
A speech-assessment model trained on native speakers compares what you say with the text. It scores accuracy, fluency and completeness from 0 to 100, and gives every word its own score.
Get your report
Each word is coloured by how close it was, and you see a short list of words to practise first. Record a sentence again to check your progress, then share your score with a friend.
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.
Long aa and short a
Cantonese has a long aa and a short a, and they mark different words: 三 saam1 (three) and 心 sam1 (heart), 買 maai5 (to buy) and 米 mai5 (rice). Hold aa clearly longer and more open; short a is quick, close to the u in 'cut'.
Rounded vowels: yu, oe and eo
Cantonese has rounded vowels that English lacks. Yu is an 'ee' said with tightly rounded lips (書 syu1 book, 魚 jyu4 fish). Oe is like the e in 'her' said with rounded lips (靴 hoe1 boot, 香 hoeng1 fragrant), and eo is a shorter version of it (出 ceot1 to go out, 去 heoi3 to go). Keep your lips rounded the whole time.
What your pronunciation score means
| Score | Level | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 90–100 | Excellent | Your words are clear and close to a native speaker. Try longer or harder sentences to keep improving. |
| 75–89 | Good | Easy to understand. A few words still stand out, so practise them one at a time. |
| 60–74 | Fair | Mostly understandable, but people may ask you to repeat some words. Start with the words in your practice list. |
| 0–59 | Needs work | Some words may be misunderstood. Slow down, practise the flagged words on their own, then say them in short phrases. |
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is this Cantonese pronunciation checker?
It uses a speech-assessment model trained on native Cantonese speakers. The model lines up your recording with the text, scores every word for accuracy and rates your fluency and completeness. It scores each word as a whole and does not show a separate tone score. Look for words that get flagged again and again rather than worrying about one low score.
Which Cantonese does the test use?
Scores are based on Hong Kong Cantonese, written in traditional characters as used in Hong Kong. It is not a Mandarin test: if you read the characters with Mandarin sounds, the score will be low. Cantonese in Guangzhou or Macau sounds very close, but a few words may score a little differently.
How can I improve my Cantonese pronunciation?
Learn every word with its tone number from the start, and practise tones in pairs of syllables. Stop final p, t and k without releasing them, and keep long aa and short a apart. Copy native audio, record yourself and retake the test to see which words improve.
Is the Cantonese pronunciation test free?
Yes. The test and the word checker are free and you don't need an account. To keep it free for everyone, there is a small daily limit on checks.
Is Cantonese harder to pronounce than Mandarin?
Many learners find it harder, because Cantonese has more tones, final p, t and k, and several vowels that Mandarin and English don't have. On the other hand, most of its tones are level pitches, which some learners find easier to hold. The test scores each word as a whole and does not show a separate tone score.
What is Jyutping?
Jyutping is a romanization system for Cantonese created by the Linguistic Society of Hong Kong. It spells each syllable in Latin letters with a tone number from 1 to 6: 廣東話 gwong2 dung1 waa2. The test shows Jyutping under each sentence to help you read, but always scores you against the Chinese characters, so type your own text in characters.