How to pronounce Laozi

Laozi (the philosopher of the Daodejing) is 老子 in Chinese, written Lǎozǐ in pinyin and said low-dzuh.

老子 Lǎozǐ

low-dzuh

Sound by sound

老lǎolowThird tone, said rising here before another third tone
子zǐdzuhThird tone: low, dipping down

Letters to watch

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

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How do you pronounce Laozi?

Laozi (the philosopher of the Daodejing) is 老子 in Chinese, written Lǎozǐ in pinyin and said low-dzuh. The first syllable is said with a rising tone, since a third tone before another third tone rises.

What are the tones in Laozi?

lǎo: second tone here, rising; zǐ: third tone, low, dipping down.

What do English speakers get wrong in Laozi?

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

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