How to pronounce zi in Chinese
Hear 字 (zì) spoken, see what it means, then record yourself for instant AI feedback on your pronunciation.
字
zì
Same sound, different tones
child / seed
character / word
Common mistake
z- is a flat "ds" (as in "kids"), tongue forward — not the curled zh-.
Try it yourself
Record yourself saying 字 and get instant AI feedback.
</>Embed this on your site
Free for teachers and blogs — paste this code into your page:
Related sounds
Keep exploring
Free · 2 minutes · no signup
How good is your Chinese pronunciation, really?
Reading about tones is not the same as producing them. Say a few words into your mic and the AI scores every syllable — tone, initial and final — then shows you which sounds are holding you back.
Runs in your browser. Nothing to install.
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★ · 30,000+ learners