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Chinese Tone Checker
A free Mandarin pronunciation test for all four tones. Hear a word, say it, and see your pitch line next to the reference voice.
This round
- 妈 mā · mom
- 麻 má · hemp
- 马 mǎ · horse
- 骂 mà · scold
- 师 shī · teacher
- 十 shí · ten
- 史 shǐ · history
- 是 shì · to be
How to check your Chinese tones
- Listen. Play the word. Notice where the pitch starts and ends.
- Say it once. Tap Record and speak normally. It stops by itself.
- Compare. See your line next to the reference. Try again or move on.
The four tones at a glance
| Tone | Example | Pitch shape | Common mistake for English speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 妈 mā, mom | High and level, held like a sung note. | Sagging at the end, so it sounds like a 4th. Fix: hold the pitch steady to the end, as if you were singing one note. |
| 2 | 麻 má, hemp | Rises from mid to high, like a question. | Dipping first, so it sounds like a 3rd. Fix: start in the middle of your voice and rise straight up, without sinking first. |
| 3 | 马 mǎ, horse | Low; on its own it dips, then lifts. Before another third tone it rises: 你好 is said ní hǎo (see Tone Sandhi Rules). | Starting high, so it sounds like a 4th. Fix: start low, not high: sink, then let it lift. |
| 4 | 骂 mà, scold | Falls sharply from high to low. | Starting mid-range, so the fall is too small. Fix: begin near the top of your voice so there is room to fall, like a firm "No!" |
| Neutral | 吗 ma, question word | Short and light; its pitch follows the syllable before. | Stressing it like a full tone. Fix: keep it short and light. |
How it works
What it judges
It hears the pitch shape of one syllable: whether your voice stays level, rises, dips or falls. It does not judge consonants, vowels, rhythm or accent, and it gives no score.
How it compares
It measures your pitch line against the four tones' textbook shapes, and after a few words it learns where your own voice sits high and low. When it isn't sure, or you sound between two tones, it says so instead of guessing.
How we tested it
In our test on 4,344 recordings from 7 computer-generated voices, it named the right tone 84% of the time. The voices include deeper, flatter and noisier altered copies. It hasn't been tested on human voices. The third tone is the hardest to judge, because on its own it can dip and rise or just stay low.
Private by design
Your recording is analyzed on this device and is never uploaded.
Panda Tone Toss
Give your ears a little adventure
Hear a Mandarin word, find its tones, and send a plush panda flying toward the matching target.
- Listen to a word
- Choose its tones
- Aim and toss
Free to start
Play Panda Tone TossPlay in your browser · No account needed
Common questions
Can this tool tell me if my Mandarin tones are correct?
Yes, one word at a time. Listen to the word, tap Record and say it once; recording stops when you finish. The Tone Checker names the tone your pitch sounded like, or says it isn't sure, and draws your pitch line next to the reference voice: level for the first tone, rising for the second, dipping for the third or falling for the fourth. It checks tone shape only, not consonants, vowels or rhythm.
Which words can I practice in the Tone Checker?
Start with the four tones (mā, má, mǎ, mà and more), then pick from 211 sets of one-syllable words: tricky pairs such as second or third tone, sound families, HSK levels and topics. Or paste your own words, sentences or a whole paragraph in characters, pinyin or English, and each syllable becomes a card. Neutral-tone syllables are for listening.
Is the Chinese pronunciation checker free?
Yes. The Tone Checker is free and needs no account or app. Your browser asks for microphone access the first time you record. Your recording is analyzed on your own device to draw the pitch line; it is not uploaded to SayMei.
Why can't the Tone Checker use my microphone?
Your browser has probably blocked the microphone for this site. On an iPhone, open Safari's page menu beside the address, choose Website Settings and set Microphone to Allow. In Chrome on Android, go to Settings, Site settings, Microphone and allow saymei.app. On a computer, click the site controls beside the address bar. Then reload and record again.
Why does my result say no clear tone, or name a different tone?
No clear tone usually means the recording was hard to read (background noise, whispering, clipping or a very short vowel) or your pitch fell between two tones. Move closer to the microphone and say the word clearly at a normal volume. If a third-tone word keeps sounding like another tone, say the full dip and rise; on a single word the target is the full contour, not the short low third tone used inside phrases.
Why can't I record the neutral-tone cards?
Neutral tone has no fixed pitch of its own. It is short and light, and its height depends on the tone before it, as in 妈妈 (māma, mom) or 朋友 (péngyou, friend). A score for an isolated neutral syllable would mislead you, so neutral syllables in your words, like the second 谢 in 谢谢 (xièxie, thanks), are there to hear and copy instead.
Can SayMei check my tones in full sentences?
Not in this tool, which compares one word at a time. To practice how tones join, use the free Tone Pairs trainer. To speak in full sentences, try a lesson with Mei Lin, SayMei's AI tutor: you talk out loud and she corrects your tones and grammar as you go. Your first lesson is free.
Keep going
- Tones Chart & Tone Pairs: hear the four tones, then train all 20 tone pairs.
- Pinyin Chart: hear every Mandarin syllable in all four tones.
- Tone Sandhi Rules: hear how tones change when two words meet.
Let’s practice it out loud.
Mei Lin is an AI tutor. No card or account needed. Try a free lesson.