Tough sounds c-s-z-

Not all learners struggle with them, but the "c-" and "z-" initials can be tricky for some. Practice the following words and phrases to be sure that you've got a good handle on these tough sounds.

Pronunciation Tips for c-s-z- (A2)

Revisit our page on the "c-" and "z-" initials if you need to. Some reminders from that page:

On the "c-" Initial

C-Diagram

Pinyin's c- initial is simply a "ts" sound. It's like the "ts" you hear in the English words "cats" and "Watson" and "robots". The only thing that makes this Chinese sound challenging is that in English the "ts" always appears in the middle or at the end of words, whereas in Chinese it is an initial sound. For this reason, some learners need some time to get used to making this sound.

On the "z-" Initial

Z-Diagram

Very similar to the c- initial, the z- initial sounds very similar to an English "dz" sound (although the "d" is not voiced). It's like the "ds" you hear in the English words "kids" and "loads" and "odds". The main thing that makes this Chinese sound challenging is that in English the "dz" always appears in the middle or at the end of words, whereas in Chinese it is an initial sound. For this reason, some learners need some time to get used to making this sound.

Tough Sound Words: c-s-z- (A2)

The words in the following table are designed to give you a good pronunciation workout. Practice them on your own and practice them with your teacher.

Audio	Chinese	Pinyin	English
zuo4	做	zuò	to do; to make; to be
zou3	走	zǒu	to walk, to go, to leave
zai4	再	zài	again; another; then
zui4	最	zuì	most, -est
zao3	早	zǎo	early; morning
zuo3	左	zuǒ	left (opposite of right)
zong3shi4	总是	zǒngshì	always
cong2	从	cóng	from; via
cai4	菜	cài	vegetable; dish (of food); cuisine (of a region)
ci2	词	cí	word
cuo4	错	cuò	mistake, fault; mistakenly
ci4	次	cì	[measure word for how many times something happens]
cao3	草	cǎo	grass
cong1ming	聪明	cōngming	smart, intelligent

Sources and further reading

A2 pronunciation points