How to use the trainer
- Press Start a round. You hear a two-syllable word, and no text shows. To test your ear with no word to remember, choose The vowel a under the button before you start: you hear the vowel a twice, with the tones of one pair.
- Pick the tone you hear in the first syllable, then in the second. On this page, 5 stands for the neutral tone. A word written with two third tones is said second tone, then third, so its answer is 2, then 3.
- See the word, its pinyin, its meaning and the pitch line of the clip you heard. The line shows how the voice moved.
- Watch your tone map. The first two answers each leave a mark on the pair: a filled mark for a right answer, an open mark for a miss. After 3 answers the pair shows a score. When a pair scores under 80%, you can turn on Focus on my weak pairs to train the pairs you miss.
- Choose a pair on the map to listen to its words. There you can also record yourself and compare your pitch line with the line of the clip.
- Open Live pitch and press Start to see the pitch of your voice as you speak. Say a word from the lists below and compare your line with its shape on the tone map.
What to listen for
A tone changes shape next to another tone. The pitch lines on this page are measured from the clips themselves. We kept only clips in which each tone had the shape described here, so the lines are clear examples.
The third tone is a low tone
Before a first, second or fourth tone, and before most neutral tones, the third tone falls a little and stays low. Listen to 老师 lǎoshī. The dip and rise in textbooks belongs to a third tone said alone or with emphasis, and sometimes to one before a pause. At the end of a word on this page, the third tone falls low. In some clips the voice comes back up softly at the very end. The pitch lines show only the loud part of each syllable, so they leave most of that out.
Two third tones are said as second, then third
When two third tones meet, the first one is said as a rising second tone. 了解 is written liǎojiě and said like liáojiě. The pinyin does not change, so listen for the rise. Our guide to tone changes in Mandarin covers the other rules.
The neutral tone follows the tone before it
A neutral tone is short and light, with no fixed pitch of its own. Its height depends on the tone before it. In these clips it sits lowest after a fourth tone and low after a first tone. After a second tone it starts where the rise ended and falls away. After a third tone it sits a little above the end of the third tone. Textbooks put it higher there, and many speakers let it rise.
The voice drifts down through a word
When a word is said alone, the voice tends to drift down. When the same tone comes twice (first + first, second + second, fourth + fourth), the second one usually sits lower than the first. In these clips, a second tone at the end of a word rises to about the middle of the voice.
All 20 tone pairs
Every word in the trainer, pair by pair. The numbers name the two tones, and 5 stands for the neutral tone. Each description tells what the pitch lines of these clips show.
1 + 1 First tone + first tone
High and level, twice. Hold the pitch up through both syllables. The second one sits a touch lower.
8 words
| 公司 | gōngsī | company |
|---|---|---|
| 开车 | kāichē | to drive |
| 星期 | xīngqī | week |
| 书包 | shūbāo | schoolbag |
| 冰箱 | bīngxiāng | refrigerator |
| 声音 | shēngyīn | sound; voice |
| 出发 | chūfā | to set off |
| 交通 | jiāotōng | traffic; transportation |
1 + 2 First tone + second tone
High and level, then a drop and a rise. In these clips the second tone starts low and climbs back to about the middle.
8 words
| 刚才 | gāngcái | just now |
|---|---|---|
| 坚持 | jiānchí | to persist; to insist on |
| 班级 | bānjí | class (of students) |
| 安排 | ānpái | to arrange |
| 钢琴 | gāngqín | piano |
| 积极 | jījí | active; positive |
| 推迟 | tuīchí | to postpone |
| 相同 | xiāngtóng | the same |
1 + 3 First tone + third tone
High and level, then a slide down low. In these clips the final third tone falls low. Any rise at the very end is soft.
4 words
| 高铁 | gāotiě | high-speed rail |
|---|---|---|
| 基础 | jīchǔ | foundation; basics |
| 邀请 | yāoqǐng | to invite |
| 商品 | shāngpǐn | goods; product |
1 + 4 First tone + fourth tone
High and level, then a fall. The fourth tone starts a little above the first tone and ends low.
8 words
| 超市 | chāoshì | supermarket |
|---|---|---|
| 高兴 | gāoxìng | happy |
| 工作 | gōngzuò | work; job |
| 鸡蛋 | jīdàn | egg |
| 天气 | tiānqì | weather |
| 帮助 | bāngzhù | to help |
| 开会 | kāihuì | to have a meeting |
| 相信 | xiāngxìn | to believe; to trust |
1 + 5 First tone + neutral tone
High and level, then a short, light syllable down in the low half of the voice.
5 words
| 杯子 | bēizi | cup; glass |
|---|---|---|
| 清楚 | qīngchu | clear; easy to understand |
| 箱子 | xiāngzi | box; suitcase |
| 亲戚 | qīnqi | relative (family member) |
| 星星 | xīngxing | star |
2 + 1 Second tone + first tone
A rise that leads up into a high, level second syllable.
8 words
| 读书 | dúshū | to read; to study |
|---|---|---|
| 房间 | fángjiān | room |
| 楼梯 | lóutī | stairs |
| 南方 | nánfāng | the south |
| 牙刷 | yáshuā | toothbrush |
| 红包 | hóngbāo | red envelope (gift of money) |
| 毛巾 | máojīn | towel |
| 毛衣 | máoyī | sweater |
2 + 2 Second tone + second tone
Two rises. The voice climbs, drops back down and climbs again.
8 words
| 学习 | xuéxí | to study; to learn |
|---|---|---|
| 平时 | píngshí | usually; normally |
| 其实 | qíshí | actually |
| 年级 | niánjí | grade (year in school) |
| 食堂 | shítáng | cafeteria |
| 零钱 | língqián | small change |
| 皮鞋 | píxié | leather shoes |
| 同时 | tóngshí | at the same time |
2 + 3 Second tone + third tone
A rise, then a drop. The third tone starts near the middle and falls to the bottom of the voice.
6 words
| 白酒 | báijiǔ | baijiu (Chinese liquor) |
|---|---|---|
| 食品 | shípǐn | food products |
| 提醒 | tíxǐng | to remind |
| 无法 | wúfǎ | unable to |
| 从此 | cóngcǐ | from then on |
| 能否 | néngfǒu | whether one can |
2 + 4 Second tone + fourth tone
A rise, then a jump to the very top and a full fall.
7 words
| 学校 | xuéxiào | school |
|---|---|---|
| 白色 | báisè | white |
| 红色 | hóngsè | red |
| 门票 | ménpiào | admission ticket |
| 颜色 | yánsè | color |
| 城市 | chéngshì | city |
| 文化 | wénhuà | culture |
2 + 5 Second tone + neutral tone
A rise, then a light syllable that starts where the rise ended and falls away.
6 words
| 儿子 | érzi | son |
|---|---|---|
| 爷爷 | yéye | grandfather (on the father’s side) |
| 房子 | fángzi | house |
| 麻烦 | máfan | trouble; troublesome; to bother |
| 勺子 | sháozi | spoon |
| 馒头 | mántou | steamed bun (no filling) |
3 + 1 Third tone + first tone
Low, then high. The third tone falls a little and stays low. Then the first tone jumps up and holds level.
8 words
| 火车 | huǒchē | train |
|---|---|---|
| 老师 | lǎoshī | teacher |
| 手机 | shǒujī | cell phone |
| 打车 | dǎchē | to take a taxi |
| 打开 | dǎkāi | to open |
| 饼干 | bǐnggān | cookie; cracker |
| 早餐 | zǎocān | breakfast |
| 果汁 | guǒzhī | juice |
3 + 2 Third tone + second tone
Low, then a rise. The third tone stays low here, and the second syllable does the rising.
8 words
| 小学 | xiǎoxué | elementary school |
|---|---|---|
| 旅游 | lǚyóu | to travel |
| 奶茶 | nǎichá | milk tea |
| 有时 | yǒushí | sometimes |
| 以前 | yǐqián | before |
| 网球 | wǎngqiú | tennis |
| 语言 | yǔyán | language |
| 有名 | yǒumíng | famous |
3 + 3 Third tone + third tone
Written with two third tones, said as a second tone and then a third: a rise, then a drop to the bottom of the voice. To most ears it is the same as second tone + third tone.
5 words
| 了解 | liǎojiě | to understand; to find out |
|---|---|---|
| 美景 | měijǐng | beautiful scenery |
| 小组 | xiǎozǔ | group; team |
| 也许 | yěxǔ | maybe |
| 语法 | yǔfǎ | grammar |
3 + 4 Third tone + fourth tone
Low, then a jump up to a high start and a full fall.
7 words
| 米饭 | mǐfàn | cooked rice |
|---|---|---|
| 女士 | nǚshì | Ms.; lady |
| 早饭 | zǎofàn | breakfast |
| 酒店 | jiǔdiàn | hotel |
| 比较 | bǐjiào | fairly; to compare |
| 以后 | yǐhòu | after; later |
| 网站 | wǎngzhàn | website |
3 + 5 Third tone + neutral tone
Low, then a light syllable. In these clips it sits a little higher than the end of the third tone. Textbooks put it higher.
5 words
| 饺子 | jiǎozi | dumpling |
|---|---|---|
| 椅子 | yǐzi | chair |
| 本子 | běnzi | notebook |
| 姐姐 | jiějie | older sister |
| 有的 | yǒude | some (of them) |
4 + 1 Fourth tone + first tone
A fall, then a level tone. In these clips the first tone after a fall sits near the middle of the voice, lower than at the start of a word.
7 words
| 衬衫 | chènshān | shirt |
|---|---|---|
| 电梯 | diàntī | elevator |
| 汽车 | qìchē | car |
| 大衣 | dàyī | overcoat |
| 现金 | xiànjīn | cash |
| 相机 | xiàngjī | camera |
| 假期 | jiàqī | vacation |
4 + 2 Fourth tone + second tone
A fall, then a rise from the bottom back up to about the middle.
8 words
| 大学 | dàxué | university; college |
|---|---|---|
| 上学 | shàngxué | to go to school |
| 问题 | wèntí | question; problem |
| 过年 | guònián | to celebrate Chinese New Year |
| 地图 | dìtú | map |
| 放学 | fàngxué | to finish school for the day |
| 复习 | fùxí | to review (what you have learned) |
| 练习 | liànxí | to practice; an exercise |
4 + 3 Fourth tone + third tone
A fall, then lower still. The fourth tone falls, and the third tone carries on down to the bottom of the voice.
4 words
| 办法 | bànfǎ | way; method |
|---|---|---|
| 报纸 | bàozhǐ | newspaper |
| 获奖 | huòjiǎng | to win an award |
| 禁止 | jìnzhǐ | to forbid |
4 + 4 Fourth tone + fourth tone
Two falls. The first stops partway. The second starts a little lower and falls to the bottom.
7 words
| 电话 | diànhuà | telephone |
|---|---|---|
| 电视 | diànshì | television |
| 上课 | shàngkè | to attend class |
| 睡觉 | shuìjiào | to sleep |
| 做饭 | zuòfàn | to cook |
| 照片 | zhàopiàn | photo |
| 附近 | fùjìn | nearby |
4 + 5 Fourth tone + neutral tone
A fall, then a light syllable that carries on down. This is the lowest neutral tone of the four.
8 words
| 认识 | rènshi | to know (a person); to recognize |
|---|---|---|
| 告诉 | gàosu | to tell |
| 丈夫 | zhàngfu | husband |
| 地方 | dìfang | place |
| 镜子 | jìngzi | mirror |
| 帽子 | màozi | hat |
| 钥匙 | yàoshi | key |
| 笑话 | xiàohua | joke |
About this tool
- Words
- 135 two-syllable words from HSK levels 1 to 4 (2025 syllabus)
- Audio
- 189 clips of words and 24 clips of the vowel a, in two voices, one female and one male
- Updated
- November 12, 2026
Each clip was checked before it went on the page: that it says the right word, and that each syllable shows a clear pitch shape for its tone. A clip that failed a check was left out, so 81 of the 135 words play in one voice only. Some pairs have fewer words than others. The smallest has 4.
The clips of the vowel a are shaped from the average pitch of each pair’s words on this page, in the same two voices. Each clip passed the same pitch check as the words. Some pairs play in one voice only.
Words with 一 (yī) or 不 (bù) are left out, because their tones change with the tone that follows.
The pitch lines come from measurements of these clips. Each line runs through five measured points in each syllable, on that voice’s own range from low to high. The lines show the loud part of each syllable and leave out the soft tail at the end of a clip. The shape on each map cell is the average of that pair’s clips.
Your scores stay in this browser. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us and we’ll check it and fix it.
Questions and answers
What is a tone pair?
A tone pair is the two tones of a two-syllable word, heard together as one shape. Mandarin has four tones and a neutral tone. The first syllable of a word takes one of the four tones. The second takes one of the four tones or the neutral tone. That gives 20 pairs.
Why practice tones in pairs?
You can say each tone well alone and still miss tones in real words, because a tone changes shape next to another tone. About three in four common Chinese words have two syllables. In everyday speech the most common words are short ones such as 的 (de), 我 (wǒ) and 是 (shì), but a third or more of the words you hear have two syllables, and the same pairs come back inside longer words and phrases.
Why does the third tone sound low here?
Textbooks draw the third tone as a dip and a rise. You hear that full shape when a third tone is said alone or with emphasis, and sometimes before a pause. Before a first, second or fourth tone, the voice falls a little and stays low. At the end of a word on this page it falls low too. In some clips the voice comes back up softly at the very end. It helps to think of the third tone as the low tone.
Why do I hear a second tone in words written with two third tones?
When two third tones meet, the first one is said as a rising second tone. The pinyin keeps both third-tone marks, so you have to know the rule. In the trainer, the right answer for these words is what you hear: 2, then 3.
What is the neutral tone?
The neutral tone is a short, light syllable with no tone mark. It has no fixed pitch of its own. Its height depends on the tone before it. On this page, 5 stands for the neutral tone. Some words here, such as 认识 (rènshi) and 告诉 (gàosu), have a neutral second syllable in the standard dictionary and a full tone for some speakers. The trainer follows the dictionary.
How is my score counted?
An answer counts as right only when both tones are right. The tone map keeps your last 10 answers for each pair and shows a score once a pair has 3 answers. Your scores are saved in this browser only. They are never sent to us.
Why practice with the vowel a?
With real words, you can start to remember a word’s tones instead of hearing them. With the vowel a, there is nothing to remember: you hear a twice, with the pitch shape of one tone pair, so only your ear can find the answer. These answers count on your tone map like words do. 3 + 3 is left out, because it is said 2 + 3 and sounds the same. 4 + 1 is left out, because its clips did not pass the pitch check. The neutral tone is left out too: it is a light syllable inside a word, and a lone vowel can’t show it.
Why do some words play in one voice only?
Each clip was checked before it went on the page: that it says the right word, and that each syllable shows a clear pitch shape for its tone. A clip that failed a check was left out. More than half of the words play in one voice only.
Does the page record or save my voice?
The page uses the microphone only when you press Record under Say it yourself, or Start under Live pitch. It never saves or uploads your voice. A recording stays in the open browser tab so the page can draw your pitch line and play it back to you. It is gone when you record again, choose another word or leave the page. Live pitch keeps no sound at all. It measures your pitch as you speak and keeps only the numbers for the line, for the last minute. The microphone turns off when you press Pause, go to Train or Listen, switch to another browser tab, or leave the page, and after two minutes with no voice.
I am new to Chinese. Where should I start?
Learn the four tones one syllable at a time first. The Pinyin Chart plays every syllable in all four tones. Then come back here and train the pairs.
