r vs l

How to tell them apart

r is said with the tongue tip curled up toward the roof of the mouth, the same place as sh, but with a buzz, close to the s of English “pleasure”. l is a clear l: the tongue tip presses the ridge behind the top teeth and the air goes out past its sides.

Listen for the buzz: 入 rù hums, 路 lù doesn’t. In ri the i is the same buzz held on (日 rì), never the clear ee of 力 lì.

Questions

What is the difference between r or l in pinyin?

r is said with the tongue tip curled up toward the roof of the mouth, the same place as sh, but with a buzz, close to the s of English “pleasure”.

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.