TOCFL · 華語文能力測驗
TOCFL speaking: a pronunciation check before the test
The TOCFL speaking test asks you to answer, describe and give opinions — it has no task where you read aloud or repeat. Your pronunciation is still part of how every answer is heard. Read words from the official TOCFL word list for your band, and see which sounds and tones to fix first.
- ✓Words from the official TOCFL 8000-word list, Band A, B or C
- ✓Every syllable scored for initial, final and tone
- ✓The sounds and tones that cost you the most, as a fix list
- ✓Where Taiwan and Mainland readings differ, shown side by side
The TOCFL speaking test, and what this check covers
| Band | Tasks | Answer time | Read-aloud in the test? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Band A (入門基礎級) | warm-up 2 (not scored) · answer questions 2 · describe an experience 2 + a video 1 | 30 s – 1 min | — |
| Band B (進階高階級) | warm-up 2 · describe an experience 2 + a picture 1 · give opinions 3 | 1:40 – 2 min | — |
| Band C (流利精通級) | opinions · role play · respond to views · summarise an article · argue a view | 2 – 3 min | — |
The test is computer-based: questions on screen and headphones, your answers recorded. Every task is an open answer, rated as a whole.
What this page does: a pronunciation check on words of your band, scored syllable by syllable.
What it does not do: it cannot score your answers to TOCFL tasks — our scorer only scores text you read aloud — and it is not a mock of the test.
Check your pronunciation
Choose your band. Read each line of six words in one go.
Levels 1–2 of the TOCFL word list.
Before you start
Find a quiet place and allow the microphone. Each row is one recording: press the button, read, press it again. The clock only runs while you record, so scoring pauses do not count against you.
- Part 1 of 1 · Read the words aloud
This is not a TOCFL band, level or score and does not predict one. Scores follow the Mainland standard reading; the words below were chosen because their Taiwan and Mainland readings are the same.
Where Taiwan and Mainland readings differ
From the TOCFL word list (Taiwan readings) compared with the Mainland standard our scorer uses. None of these words are in the scored sets.
| Word | Taiwan (TOCFL list) | Mainland | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 垃圾 | lèsè | lājī | tone or sound |
| 研究 | yánjiù | yánjiū | tone or sound |
| 危險 | wéixiǎn | wēixiǎn | tone or sound |
| 企業 | qìyè | qǐyè | tone or sound |
| 微笑 | wéixiào | wēixiào | tone or sound |
| 暫時 | zhànshí | zànshí | tone or sound |
| 熟悉 | shóuxī | shúxī | tone or sound |
| 成績 | chéngjī | chéngjì | tone or sound |
| 學期 | xuéqí | xuéqī | tone or sound |
| 擁有 | yǒngyǒu | yōngyǒu | tone or sound |
| 認識 | rènshì | rènshi | neutral tone in Mainland speech |
| 清楚 | qīngchǔ | qīngchu | neutral tone in Mainland speech |
| 麻煩 | máfán | máfan | neutral tone in Mainland speech |
| 關係 | guānxì | guānxi | neutral tone in Mainland speech |
| 明白 | míngbái | míngbai | neutral tone in Mainland speech |
| 消息 | xiāoxí | xiāoxi | neutral tone in Mainland speech |
Both readings are standard where they are used. Say the one your test and your teacher expect.
How the word sets were built
- From the official TOCFL 8000-word list (華語八千詞, 2023 edition): Band A uses levels 1–2, Band B levels 3–4, Band C level 5.
- Only words whose Taiwan reading in the TOCFL list is the same as the Mainland reading our scorer uses, and no word with 一 or 不 (their tone changes with the next syllable).
- 24 words per band, no character used twice, picked at random within those rules.
TOCFL speaking questions
Is there a read-aloud part in the TOCFL speaking test?
No. In every band the tasks are open answers — answering questions, describing an experience, a picture or a video, giving opinions, role play, summarising. That is why this page is a pronunciation check and not a mock.
Will this tell me my TOCFL band?
No. It rates how clearly you say the sounds and tones of band-level words, today, as a range. It does not see vocabulary, grammar or how well you answer.
I learned Mandarin in Taiwan. Will I be marked wrong?
The scorer uses the Mainland standard reading. The scored words are ones where both standards agree, but habits such as a lighter zh/ch/sh or a full tone where Mainland speakers use a neutral tone can still lower a score. The table on this page shows common words where the readings differ.
Does it show characters in Traditional?
Yes, the words are shown in Traditional characters, as in the TOCFL list, with pinyin you can switch off.
Sources
Format checked 10 November 2026. Independent practice from TonePerfect. Not affiliated with the Steering Committee for the Test of Proficiency–Huayu (SC-TOP); not an official mock.