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Chinese Pronunciation

Guides to Mandarin pronunciation: the four tones, the neutral tone, tone sandhi and pinyin, with practical tips for sounding natural.

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Compare Taiwanese and Mainland Mandarin with everyday vocabulary, audio examples, character differences and practical advice on choosing what to learn.

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Chinese Pronunciation

Chinese Tones: Tips on How to Learn the Tricky Change

Mandarin uses four main tones plus a neutral tone, and some tones change in context. This guide explains how to pronounce each tone, the regular and irregular neutral tone, and tone sandhi rules for third tones, 一 (yī) and 不 (bù).