Similar Sounds Quiz

Can you tell zh from j? Train your ear on the most commonly confused Mandarin consonant pairs.

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How to Play
1. Listen
Play Sound A & B
2. Compare
Hear the difference
3. Choose
Pick Sound A's syllable
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Ready to Test Your Ear?

Listen to two similar sounds and identify which syllable matches Sound A.

Sound Pair Reference

Click any example to hear the exaggerated pronunciation.

Retroflex vs Palatal
zh (tongue curled back) vs j (tongue flat)
vs
ch (aspirated retroflex) vs q (aspirated palatal)
vs
sh (retroflex fricative) vs x (palatal fricative)
vs
Dental vs Retroflex
z (flat tongue) vs zh (curled tongue)
vs
c vs ch
vs
s vs sh
vs
Nasal Finals (-n vs -ng)
-an (front nasal) vs -ang (back nasal)
vs
-en vs -eng
vs
-in vs -ing
vs
Tips for Distinguishing Similar Sounds
  • Retroflex (zh, ch, sh) - Curl your tongue tip back toward the roof of your mouth.
  • Palatal (j, q, x) - Keep your tongue flat with the tip behind your lower teeth.
  • Dental (z, c, s) - Tongue tip touches the back of your upper teeth.
  • Front nasal (-n) - Tongue touches the ridge behind your upper teeth. The sound stops crisply.
  • Back nasal (-ng) - The back of your tongue rises. The sound resonates longer.
  • n vs l - For n, air flows through your nose. For l, air flows around the sides of your tongue.
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