j q x vs z c s

How to tell them apart

j, q and x raise the middle of the tongue to the hard palate, the tip down behind the bottom teeth, and always come before an i or ü sound. z, c and s put the tip just behind the top teeth and never do. So xi is a soft “shee”, si a sharp s with a buzz after it.

The vowel is the giveaway: 系 xì has a clear ee, 四 sì a buzz held on the s; 先 xiān glides through a y to a vowel near e, 三 sān opens straight to a.

Questions

What is the difference between j q x or z c s in pinyin?

j, q and x raise the middle of the tongue to the hard palate, the tip down behind the bottom teeth, and always come before an i or ü sound.

What is a minimal pair in Mandarin?

Two syllables that differ by one sound and nothing else, such as zhī and zī, or fàn and fàng. Hearing them apart is the first step to saying them apart, and to understanding fast speech.

Practise the tones too

Tone pair chart: all 20 tone pairs, each a word to hear. Pinyin trainer: hear a word and name its tones. Tone practice: say a word and see your pitch over a native speaker’s. Pinyin chart: every syllable in all four tones.