Speaking Tips

Mandarin's b/p, d/t, and g/k pairs aren't about voicing like they are in English — they're about a puff of air. Here's why that distinction trips up beginners, and how to actually hear it.

Zh, ch, sh, and r trip up almost every English speaker learning Mandarin — here's what your tongue is actually supposed to be doing, and a quick way to check you're getting it right.