Speak Mandarin clearly: free pronunciation test and guides
Find out how clear your Mandarin Chinese pronunciation is. Take the free Chinese pronunciation test, get a score for every word you say, and learn the tones and sounds Chinese learners find hardest. For daily practice, Flai Speaking gives you an AI coach to talk to in Chinese.
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The hardest parts of Mandarin pronunciation
The four tones and the neutral tone
Every syllable has a tone, and the tone changes the meaning: 妈 mā (mother) is high and level, 麻 má (hemp) rises, 马 mǎ (horse) dips low, and 骂 mà (to scold) falls. Some syllables are short and light with no tone of their own, like the second ma in 妈妈 māma or 了 le.
Third-tone changes
When two third tones meet, the first one becomes a rising second tone: 你好 nǐ hǎo is said ní hǎo. Before other tones, the third tone usually stays low without rising again. 一 yī and 不 bù change their tones too, depending on the next syllable.
Aspirated and unaspirated consonants
In pinyin, b, d, g, j, z and zh are unaspirated: no puff of air, even though they look like voiced English sounds. P, t, k, q, c and ch come with a strong puff. Compare 爸 bà (dad) and 怕 pà (to fear), or 肚 dù (belly) and 兔 tù (rabbit).
Chinese pronunciation guides
- Mandarin tones for English speakers: hear the word before drawing the curve →
- How to read Mandarin Pinyin: j, q, x and the hidden ü →
- Polite Mandarin phrases: ask, clarify and confirm the answer →
- Mandarin speaking practice: help someone follow a simple map →
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