How to pronounce ci in Chinese
Hear 词 (cí) spoken, see what it means, then record yourself for instant AI feedback on your pronunciation.
词
cí
Same sound, different tones
词
cíT2
word / term
次
cìT4
time / occurrence
Common mistake
c- is an aspirated "ts" (a strong puff) — not "s" and not English "c".
Try it yourself
Record yourself saying 词 and get instant AI feedback.
Related sounds
Train, don't just read
Practice your pronunciation in the app
A guide can explain the tones, but you can't fix your pronunciation by reading. The TonePerfect app lets you actually say the words and scores every syllable — initial, final, and tone — in real time, so you hear your mistakes and correct them on the spot.
- Instant AI feedback on every syllable
- Practice any word, sentence, or HSK list
- Hands-on tone training you can't get from reading
Free to start · 4.6★ · 20,000+ learners