Chinese · Pinyin
Pinyin chart.
The four tones, the 21 initials and every syllable of Mandarin, each in all four tones. Tap one to hear it. Then test your ear.
- 4 tones
- 405 syllables
- Tap to hear
- A quick quiz
The four tones
The same syllable in each tone is a different word: mā is mum, mǎ is horse. The light tone is short and soft.
The 21 initials
Each is heard with the vowel it’s recited with: b in bō, j in jī.
Spellings that surprise
Most pinyin reads the way it looks. These don’t.
Finals with a, o and e
Finals with i
Finals with u
Finals with ü
Quiz
Test yourself.
12 questions, one at a time. Pick the kind of question, then tap your answer, or press 1 to 4.
In the Misu app
Learn pinyin and the tones as flashcards.
Misu’s Pinyin & Tones deck is 20 flashcards for the parts English speakers find hardest: the four tones and the light one, the sounds English lacks, and the spellings that hide a sound. Each one has its sound and a word from the course with its picture.
About two days at 15 new flashcards a day. Chinese Foundations writes every word’s pinyin, with its tone marks.
Get MisuQuick answers
What is pinyin?
The official way to write Mandarin in the Latin alphabet, with a mark for each syllable’s tone. Learners use it to read and type Chinese, and Chinese Foundations writes every word in it.
How many pinyin syllables are there?
About 400, made of the 21 initials and the finals after them, and a few with no initial. Each can take four tones, though not every syllable is used in all four.
What are the four tones?
High and level (mā), rising (má), low and dipping (mǎ) and falling (mà), plus a light tone (ma) said quickly and softly. The tone is part of the word: mā is mum and mǎ is horse.
Where does the tone mark go?
On a or e if there is one, on the o of ou, and otherwise on the last vowel: guǐ, liù.
Why are ü’s dots sometimes missing?
After j, q, x and y a plain u can’t follow, so the dots are left off: qù is said qü. Only after n and l do you see them: lǜ.
How long does it take to learn pinyin?
A few days for the sounds; hearing tones takes longer. Misu’s Pinyin & Tones deck is 20 flashcards, about two days at 15 new flashcards a day.
Learn pinyin and the tones in Misu.
Misu’s Pinyin & Tones deck: the tones, the sounds English lacks and the spellings that surprise, each with audio.
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