Pronunciation · Beginner to intermediate · 10 pages
Mandarin Tone-Pair Listening & Speaking Lab
Train all 16 two-syllable tone combinations with useful words, short phrases, a mini-dialogue, self-recording prompts, and a separate answer key.
Download the free PDFNo signup. No email form. Version 1.1, updated 2026-08-11.
What’s inside
- A compact tone-contour reference
- All 16 lexical tone-pair combinations
- Listen-and-identify score sheets
- Phrase ladders and a mini-dialogue
- Third-tone, 不, and 一 change notes
- A separate answer and self-check page
What you’ll practice
- Hear which syllable changed when two words sound similar
- Produce tone pairs inside useful phrases instead of isolated syllables
- Track the combinations you confuse and choose a focused next drill
Workbook preview
- 欢迎 · huānyíng · welcome (1–2)
- 旅行 · lǚxíng · travel (3–2)
- 问题 · wèntí · question (4–2)
Frequently asked questions
What are Mandarin tone pairs?
A tone pair is a two-syllable combination such as first tone followed by second tone. Practicing pairs helps you hear and produce tones as they occur in real words and phrases.
Does this workbook include audio?
The PDF links to SayMei’s free browser-based audio practice. The printable pages also work as speaking, recording, and review sheets without an account.
Should I pronounce every third tone with a full dip?
No. A third tone often stays low before another syllable, and the first of two consecutive third tones is normally pronounced with a rising contour. The workbook marks lexical tones and explains common connected-speech changes separately.
Keep practicing
Open the free Tone Pair Trainer · Browse all free downloads
Lexical tones are shown with tone marks. Common connected-speech changes are labeled separately so the written form and the sound you hear do not get mixed together.
Work through it online
Work through the lab page by page: listen to each drill word before you peek, mark the contours you hear, then say and record every pair inside a real phrase.
Warm-up: The four contours and how to read a pair
Read any pair label such as 2+4 and know which two contours to expect before you hear the word.
Workbook page 2
Tone 1 starts: Pairs 1+1, 1+2, 1+3, 1+4
Hear and say the four pairs that start with tone 1 inside real words and one phrase.
Workbook page 3
Tone 2 starts: Pairs 2+1, 2+2, 2+3, 2+4
Hear and say the four pairs that start with tone 2 inside real words and one phrase.
Workbook page 4
Tone 3 starts: Pairs 3+1, 3+2, 3+3, 3+4
Hear and say the four pairs that start with tone 3, including the 3+3 word whose first syllable sounds second-tone-like.
Workbook page 5
Tone 4 starts: Pairs 4+1, 4+2, 4+3, 4+4
Hear and say the four pairs that start with tone 4 inside real words and one phrase.
Workbook page 6
Listening lab: Dictate eight tone pairs by ear
Identify the tone pair of eight familiar words by ear alone.
Workbook page 7
Production lab: Grow a word into a phrase and a sentence
Keep tone pairs accurate while a word grows into a chunk and then a full sentence.
Workbook page 8
Connected speech: Dictionary form versus heard contour
Say the heard contour of 你好, 不是, and 一杯 without losing track of their dictionary tones.
Workbook page 9
Answer + next drill: Check your ears and plan the next drill
Choose your next five-minute drill from the pairs you still confuse.
Workbook page 10
This audio-supported practice is free in your browser — no account, no install, and the printable PDF stays available either way.
Model audio on this page is synthetic Mandarin — a listening aid, not a pronunciation assessment.