When learning Chinese for the first time, chances are that you will mispronounce Pinyin, which is the Romanized spelling of Chinese sounds. If you don't properly learn these sounds early on, chances are that it will mess up your Chinese down the road because you will be memorizing and practicing the right sounds. In this blog, we will point out commonly mispronounced Pinyin Sounds and teach you how to master the sounds of Chinese.
About the author: I am an American English native speaker who has been studying Chinese for almost two decades. I also hold a Bachelor's degree in Chinese and I know what it takes to become fluent in Mandarin as a native English speaker. 
It is important that you learn all the possible sounds for words in Chinese.
You can refer to the chart below which was taken from this website. 
Practice speaking the sounds you hear 練習說出你所聽到的聲音:
First, listen to the sounds of Pinyin. There are many online resources you can use to do this, such as this Pinyin Chart. You can also look for children's videos online such as this one:
There are many other videos on YouTube that you can search.
It is important that you imitate what you hear, not what you are reading. Many of the sounds are not intuitive. It is very important that you memorize the correct sound for each word. Commonly Mispronounced Pinyin Sounds by Native English Speakers 英文為母語者常發錯音的拼音: English speakers may find many spellings of Pinyin to be counterintuitive. You have to remember that you are memorizing a new set of linguistic symbols, not reciting Chinese using English spellings. I have created a list of commonly mispronounced pinyin sounds, and how to properly pronounce them below:
Consider Using Zhuyin 考慮用注音符號
If you really want to avoid mispronouncing Chinese, you can learn Zhuyin, which is the Taiwanese symbol system for learning the sounds of Chinese. The advantage with this system is that you won't get messed up when it comes to pronouncing the English pronunciation instead of the proper Chinese sound.
However the bad part about this system is that it is only used in Taiwan and learning materials can be hard to find. But you can learn with the video above.
Finding a good Chinese Tutor 找到適合的家教:
To accomplish the steps above, it may be easier to start off by taking classes or getting a Chinese tutor to help you. Here are a few resources you can consider:
They are based in Taichung and can provide the best Taiwan-based Mandarin courses around. Get 10% off with promo code: FOREIGNERS10 https://www.tutorabc.com/
There is no age limit to study a new language. Just keep dedicating yourself, improving your Chinese, and achieving your goals.
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Author 作家I am an American expat who has extensive experience living, working, and traveling in Taiwan. In my day, I had to learn many things about Taiwan the hard way. But I have come to learn that Taiwan is one of the best places in the world for Foreigners to live. This blog does not represent the opinions of every foreigner in Taiwan. I am just trying to help others learn more about this beautiful country. Categories
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