Learn Mandarin Pinyin and pronunciation

Pinyin represents Mandarin sounds with the Latin alphabet. It helps you pronounce new words, but careful listening is more important than reading letters as if they were English.

The four tones

Tone changes are part of every word. Practice them inside short phrases, because natural speech also includes rhythm, unstressed syllables and tone interaction.

A better pronunciation routine

1. Listen without looking at Pinyin.
2. Listen again and notice the tone contour.
3. Shadow the full phrase aloud.
4. Record yourself and compare rhythm, not only individual sounds.