Free · 5–10 minutes a day
The 7-day tone camp
A short course for the part that a pinyin chart cannot teach: hearing and producing tones in real words. Each session uses the existing tone tools, and progress is based on actual listening answers and recordings.
0 of 7 sessions complete
Recommended next: Day 1 — Hear the four contours
course complete
Day 1 · Baseline
Hear the four contours
Play ten isolated syllables and choose the tone you hear. Do not look for meaning yet; this is a baseline for the next six sessions.
Listen for: Level, rising, dipping, falling — identify the direction before naming it.
Day 2 · Contrast
Keep level and falling apart
First tone stays high without drifting. Fourth tone starts high and drops decisively. Record at least one word; switch the drill grid if you want both contours.
Listen for: A flat line versus a clean drop. Do not add a rise to either tone.
Day 3 · Contrast
Rising is not dipping
Second tone rises steadily. Third tone usually sits low before it rises. Record a two-syllable word and watch each syllable separately.
Listen for: A short rise versus a low, late turn. The final pitch is not the whole story.
Day 4 · Connected speech
Make third-tone sandhi sound natural
In 你好, the written 3–3 is spoken 2–3. Record two words from the third-tone group and keep the first syllable light rather than fully dipping.
Listen for: One low third tone, not two dramatic full dips back to back.
Day 5 · Rules in context
Catch 不 and 一 changing tone
不 becomes bú before a fourth tone; 一 becomes yí before a fourth tone and yì before tones 1–3. Practice one group at a time, then record two words.
Listen for: The written tone and spoken tone differ. Listen to what the recording actually does.
Day 6 · Integration
Hold the pattern across a whole word
Alternate rising, falling and level starts. Record two words and aim to keep each syllable’s shape clear without pausing unnaturally between them.
Listen for: Contrast inside the word, not just between separate practice syllables.
Day 7 · Benchmark
Retest the same ear
Do two fresh Tone ID rounds. Compare the result with day one, then choose the single pattern that still needs the most work.
Listen for: Speed matters less than consistency. Listen to the contour before choosing.
How completion works
Listening sessions count the Tone ID questions you answer. Recording sessions count fresh tone-pair recordings made after you start the session, and require a minimum score. Returning to this page refreshes the evidence.
Use a microphone you trust
This course scores pitch, not vowel quality. A noisy room or a distant laptop microphone can lower the result even when your tone is correct. Use headphones when possible and keep the preview volume low.