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The hardest Chinese sounds for English speakers (and how to practice them)

Your head start: aspiration

The key contrast in Chinese is not voiced versus voiceless but aspirated versus unaspirated: p, t, k come with a puff of air; b, d, g do not. English speakers already do this without noticing. In "pin", "top" and "kin" the p, t and k are aspirated, because they start a stressed syllable; in "spin", "stop" and "skin" they are not, because they follow an s. So pinyin 怕 pà sounds like the p of "pin", and 爸 bà sounds like the p of "spin".

Exercise: hold a sheet of paper in front of your mouth. Say "pin" and then "spin": the paper moves for the first only. Do the same with bà-pà, dà-tā, gǒu-kǒu.

1. q, x and j

These are made with the flat of the tongue against the hard palate, and appear only before i or ü. j is not the j of "jam": it is unaspirated, with a flatter tongue; q is the aspirated version, a bit like the ch of "cheese" with a smile; x is a soft "sh" with the tongue forward and the lips spread.

Exercise: say "ee" with a wide smile, then push air between your tongue and palate: xī. Repeat jī-qī-xī.

2. zh, ch, sh and r: tongue pulled back

English has sh and ch, but Chinese zh, ch, sh and r are retroflex: the tip of the tongue goes further back. sh sounds like the English sh with the tongue pulled back; zh is like the j of "judge" but voiceless and unaspirated; ch is the aspirated version; r is a buzzed sh, a voiced retroflex fricative, not the English r. Most English speakers make r as a postalveolar approximant, so avoid rounding your lips as in "red".

Exercise: say "sh", keep your lips relaxed and slide the tongue back and up slightly. Add voice for r. Repeat sì-shì, zì-zhī, cì-chī.

3. z and c at the start of a word

z and c are "ts" sounds: z is unaspirated and c is aspirated (在 zài, 菜 cài). English has "ts" in "cats", but only in some positions, so starting a word with it feels odd. Practice by saying "cats eye" quickly and moving the ts to the front: "ts-eye".

After z, c, s, zh, ch, sh and r, the letter "i" is not the vowel of "see": the consonant just keeps buzzing. 四 sì is not "see" (that is 西 xī).

4. The vowel ü

English vowel charts list no front rounded vowel, so ü is new. Say "ee" and then round your lips as if saying "oo" without moving the tongue. It is the same sound as French u or German ü. It is written without dots after j, q, x and y (去 qù, 鱼 yú) and with dots after n and l (女 nǚ, 绿 lǜ).

Exercise: contrast 路 lù (road) and 绿 lǜ (green) ten times.

5. The vowel written e

The e in 饿 è (hungry) and 喝 hē (to drink) has no exact English match. Start from "o", then unround your lips. In ie, ei and üe it is a normal e: 谢 xiè. Do not say it like the e of "bed".

6. -n and -ng

You already have the ng of "sing" (it is the final sound of "hung"), so -ng is easy: 放 fàng. The trap is not adding a hard g, and keeping -n distinct: 饭 fàn.

7. Tones

English uses pitch for intonation, not to tell words apart. Chinese uses it for words: 买 mǎi (to buy) and 卖 mài (to sell) differ only in tone. Start with the 4 tones, then tone pairs, and mind the third tone. To check any syllable use the pinyin chart, and see the general pronunciation guide.

How to practice on your own

• One sound at a time. Spend two or three days on each before moving on.
• Minimal pairs. bà-pà, sì-shì, lù-lǜ, fàn-fàng.
• Record yourself and compare with native audio, syllable by syllable.
• Practice inside words (see how to memorize vocabulary), not only isolated syllables.

How Macalaoshi does it

In Macalaoshi every character is learned with its pinyin and audio: you collect characters from HSK 1 to 4 (more than 1300 words and characters), every character you get right goes up a level and what you miss comes back for you to review. The bosses only fall to what you truly remember, and story mode takes you forward with Lili. You can start for free.

Comparisons with English are approximate: pronunciation varies by region and speaker. Always check against audio from a native speaker.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the hardest Chinese sounds for English speakers?

Usually q, x and j, the retroflex zh, ch, sh and r, z and c at the start of a word, the vowel ü, the vowels written e and i in certain syllables, and the tones.

Do English speakers have any advantage with Chinese sounds?

Yes. English already aspirates p, t and k at the start of stressed syllables, which is the contrast pinyin p, t, k versus b, d, g depends on. English also has sh, ch and the ng of 'sing'.

Is pinyin b the same as English b?

No. Pinyin b, d and g are unaspirated and voiceless. A good model is the p in 'spin', not the b in 'bin'.

Does English have the Chinese ü?

No. The English vowel charts list no front rounded vowel. You make ü by saying 'ee' with rounded lips.

Are English r and Chinese r the same?

Not quite. The English r is most often a postalveolar approximant, while Chinese r is a voiced retroflex fricative, closer to a buzzed 'sh'.

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