pronouncekit

INITIAL

d: unaspirated tongue-tip stop

Pinyin d is an unaspirated [t]. Learn to release the tongue tip with no puff, so dà never sounds like tà.

d
Broad IPA
[t]

Mouth & tongue

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Vocal folds: vibrating

TongueTeethUvula

Simplified human pronunciation. The small uvula hangs from the palate; it is not the vocal folds. The wave indicates voicing.

Sound to demonstrate
Tone

High and level, around 55 on the five-level pitch scale.

Voice settings

The mouth starts slightly open. Movement is slowed for observation; the synthetic sound plays once at its original speed. Pause holds the current mouth shape; reset returns to the relaxed position. The panda is a symbolic teaching aid for human pronunciation, not animal anatomy. A simplified teaching model, not a measured or anatomically validated simulation. It shows the soft palate lowering for nasal sounds, but not airflow. Single syllables use eSpeak NG, a synthetic voice on your device. Its pitch range is narrower than natural speech, so use the tone diagrams and word buttons as well. Words and sentences use a voice from your browser or device when one is available. No native recordings are bundled.

Words to practice

Sentence to practice

Listen and compare

Alternate each pair, changing only the air after the tongue tip.

Pinyin here shows dictionary tones. Spoken tones change in some contexts, such as nǐ hǎo; see the lessons on tone changes.

What you are learning

Like b, pinyin d is defined by the absence of a puff of air, not by a strong voice.

What your mouth is doing

The tongue tip seals just behind the upper teeth or on the ridge and releases cleanly with little air.

Compared with English

The t in English stay is the closest cue. English d in day is often voiced and English t in tie has a puff. Neither is exact, so use them as starting points.

Build the sound, step by step

  1. Say stay slowly and notice the t after s.
  2. Keep that release and say dā with no s.
  3. Check with a tissue that dà does not move it.

What to watch for

  • A puff of air turns dà (big) into tà (to step on).
  • Do not flap it between vowels as American English does in ladder; keep a clean closure in dìdi.

Related lessons

Keep practicing

References & editorial notes

PronounceKit wrote this lesson as practical guidance for English speakers, based on the references below. The comparisons are editorial teaching suggestions. It describes common Mainland Standard Mandarin patterns, not every accent or regional variety, and it has not been independently reviewed by a pronunciation specialist or Mandarin teacher.

Published 5 November 2026