Pronunciation-anxious learners who already know pinyin often worry about how tones shift when words connect in real speech. The Chinese Tone Sandhi Checker shows you exactly how a phrase sounds when tone changes apply — so you can practice the way Mandarin is actually spoken, not just how it reads in a dictionary.
Paste a written phrase and the tool displays two versions side by side: the dictionary pinyin for each character and the natural spoken tones after sandhi rules apply. It covers third tone sandhi, 一 (yī) changes, and 不 (bù) changes. For example, if you paste 你好，我想买一杯奶茶。 (nǐ hǎo, wǒ xiǎng mǎi yī bēi nǎi chá), the checker shows how the two consecutive third tones in 你好 shift in connected speech, and how 一 changes before different tones. The tool works entirely from text — it does not record or analyze audio.
This tool is built for learners who know pinyin but want natural spoken tone guidance. You get a fast, clear comparison between textbook pinyin and real-world pronunciation, which helps you self-correct before speaking. When you're ready to put those adjusted tones into practice, you can hand the result off to live speaking practice with Mei Lin and say the phrase in conversation. SayMei tools are free, browser-based, and require no signup, so you can check a phrase whenever doubt strikes.
Once you've confirmed your tones, you might also want to find the right classifier for a noun with the Chinese Measure Word Finder, or build a fuller speaking answer around your topic using the Chinese Speaking Topic Scaffold. You can browse the full index of all free SayMei Chinese learning tools to see what else helps your study.
It compares dictionary pinyin against natural spoken tones for any phrase you paste, highlighting third tone sandhi, 一 (yī) changes, and 不 (bù) changes so you can see how pronunciation shifts in context.
No — the Chinese Tone Sandhi Checker works from written text only. It does not record or analyze audio; it shows you how tones change when characters appear together in a phrase.
Yes. Once the Tone Sandhi checker shows you the natural spoken tones, you can hand that result off to live speaking practice with Mei Lin to say the phrase in conversation.
Yes, it's free and browser-based with no signup required, like all tools in the SayMei collection. You can use it whenever you need to verify how tones shift before speaking or studying.