How to pronounce laoshi

laoshi (teacher) is 老师 in Chinese, written lǎoshī in pinyin and said low-shr.

老师 lǎoshī

low-shr

Sound by sound

老lǎolowThird tone: low, dipping down
师shīshrFirst tone: high and level

Letters to watch

Ao rhymes with “cow”: mao is “mow” as in “how now”, never “moe”.
After z, c, s, zh, ch, sh and r, the i is no “ee”: the first sound is held on, like a buzz.

Everyday words

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How do you pronounce laoshi?

laoshi (teacher) is 老师 in Chinese, written lǎoshī in pinyin and said low-shr.

What are the tones in laoshi?

lǎo: third tone, low, dipping down; shī: first tone, high and level.

What do English speakers get wrong in laoshi?

Ao rhymes with “cow”: mao is “mow” as in “how now”, never “moe”. After z, c, s, zh, ch, sh and r, the i is no “ee”: the first sound is held on, like a buzz.

More free tools

Voices recorded for our word cards. A spelling such as “shyow-mee” is the nearest English sound, not the sound itself: hear the voices.