The sound system of your native language affects how you hear and pronounce other languages. When speaking American English, native Mandarin speakers have accent patterns based on first hearing and speaking Mandarin. Use the chart below to learn more about the Mandarin accent in English. Click on the individual sounds for recordings and help with pronunciation.
Like this? Even more resources are available with a subscription.
sound b t d g v th (as in “think”) th (as in “those”) z j n ng r consonant clusters (more than one consonant sound together) vowels | error pattern can sound like p or be left off the ends of words can be left off the ends of words can sound like t or be left off the ends of words can sound like k at the ends of words can sound like f at the ends of words can sound like s at the start of words can sound like s at the ends of words can sound like d or z at the start of words can sound like voiceless th or z at the ends of words can sound like j at the start of words can sound like s at the ends of words can sound like ch or zh at the ends of words can sound like ng or be left off the ends of words can sound like n or be left of the ends of words can sound like “uh” in the middle or at the ends of words can have sounds left off or have the same errors listed above at the ends of words can have r/l confusion at the start of words to learn more about Mandarin accent, including vowels, purchase a subscription | Example robe sounds like rope tube sounds like too boat sounds like bow code sounds like coat, made sounds like may pig sounds like pick leave sounds like leaf thing sounds like sing with sounds like wiss those sounds like dose or zose breathe sounds like breeth or breeze zero sounds like jero buzz sounds like bus ridge sounds like rich or rizh thin sounds like thing moon sounds like moo thing sounds like thin sung sounds like suh bird sounds like bud paper sounds like papuh lived sounds like live, want sounds like wan, words sounds like word pleasant sounds like present class sounds like crass |