---
title: "zh ch sh vs z c s: 47 Mandarin Minimal Pairs with Audio | Mandarin The Wild"
description: "Hear the difference between zh ch sh or z c s in Mandarin: 47 minimal pairs (shī/sī, zhā/zā, zhé/zé, zhāi/zāi, zhāo/zāo) to hear in a female or male voice, a ten-question listening quiz and how to say each. Free, no sign-up."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/pinyin-minimal-pairs/zh-z"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

[Mandarin minimal pairs](https://mandarinthewild.com/pinyin-minimal-pairs) · zh / z

# zh ch sh vs z c s

47 pairs to hear, from 是 shì and 四 sì on. Take the quiz, then tap any pair below to hear both.

Voice

Hear

## How to tell them apart

**zh**, **ch** and **sh** are said with the tip of the tongue curled up toward the roof of the mouth; **z**, **c** and **s** with the tongue flat and its tip just behind the top teeth. Listen for the darker, hollower sound of the curled ones: 是 shì against 四 sì.

Many speakers in southern China and Taiwan say both the flat way, so you will hear 是 said sì in real life. Learn to hear the difference anyway: the north and every textbook keep it.

## All 47 pairs

## Questions

### What is the difference between zh ch sh or z c s in pinyin?

zh, ch and sh are said with the tip of the tongue curled up toward the roof of the mouth; z, c and s with the tongue flat and its tip just behind the top teeth.

### 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](https://mandarinthewild.com/tone-pairs): all 20 tone pairs, each a word to hear. [Pinyin trainer](https://mandarinthewild.com/pinyin-trainer): hear a word and name its tones. [Tone practice](https://mandarinthewild.com/tone-practice): say a word and see your pitch over a native speaker’s. [Pinyin chart](https://mandarinthewild.com/pinyin-chart): every syllable in all four tones.

Voices by ElevenLabs, the same two as the app’s word cards.