Pinyin initial: "z"

Mouth Mechanics (step-by-step)

1. Teeth: Keep your top and bottom front teeth close together (not clenched), like you’re about to say /t/ or /s/.
2. Tongue tip: Put the tip of your tongue just behind your top front teeth, touching the gum ridge (the bumpy area right above your top teeth).
3. Tongue shape: Keep the tongue fairly flat, with a narrow groove down the middle for the air to pass (like an s).
4. Make a “stop,” then release:
   • First, block the air briefly with the tongue tip (like a very quick t).
   • Then release into a tight hiss (like s).
     This “stop + hiss” is the core of z.
5. Voice: Use a voiceless sound (your throat should feel like s, not z in “zoo”). If you touch your throat, it should be mostly quiet.
6. Lips: Keep lips relaxed and neutral (no rounding).
7. Add the final smoothly: Once the z is crisp, move immediately into the vowel or ending (e.g., za-, zai-, zan-). Don’t pause.

English Approximation (how to get close)

English does not usually start words with this exact sound, but it occurs naturally inside words as /ts/.

Use these approximations:

• “kids” → the “ds” at the end is very close to Mandarin z (it’s essentially /ts/).
  Focus on the ending: kids ≈ kits.
• “cats” → the “ts” at the end matches the release of Mandarin z.
  Focus on the ending: cats.
• “tsunami” (common English pronunciation) → the “ts” at the beginning is a useful model for z-.
  Focus on the start: tsu-.

How to modify English to match Mandarin better:
When you imitate the “ts” in “cats,” move it to the front of the syllable and make it short and tight: “ts…a” → za. Also keep it unvoiced (more like s than zoo).

Common Mistakes (English speakers)

• Using English “z” (voiced) like in zoo. Mandarin z is not that buzzing sound; it’s closer to /ts/.
• Adding a puff of air (making it sound like a strong “tss”). Mandarin z is crisp but not heavily aspirated.
• Turning it into “j” or “dzj” (too far back, too “sticky,” or with a “zh”-like quality). Keep it forward, right behind the teeth.
• For “zi” (zi-, zi1/2/3/4/5): adding an extra vowel like “zee” or “zuh.” The final in zi is not the English “ee.” It’s a tight, tongue-held vowel-like sound produced with the tongue still in a “z/s” posture.

Practice Pairs (visualizing the sound)

These English words are approximations. Use them to “borrow” the /ts/ feel, then shift it to the start of the Chinese syllable.

Comparisons & caveats

z vs. zh

• z is front-of-mouth: tongue tip near the top front teeth/gum ridge, with a /ts/ quality.
• zh is farther back and “heavier,” with the tongue curled or pulled back; it sounds more like an English “j”/“dr” family to many learners.

If your z sounds like “j” or “dr,” it’s probably drifting toward zh.

z vs. c

• Both are “stop + hiss” sounds made in the same place.
• The key difference: c has a stronger puff of air; z is tighter and less airy.

If you feel a big burst of breath, you’re sliding toward c.

z vs. s

• s is only a hiss (continuous airflow).
• z begins with a tiny stop (a quick “t” closure) and then releases into the hiss.

If you can hold the sound smoothly from the start, it’s probably s, not z.

Special note on “zi”

• zi is not “zee.” After z, the sound stays tight and tongue-focused, almost like you’re continuing an s-like mouth shape while voicing the syllable’s “vowel” portion.

If you hear a clear English-style “ee,” you’re adding a vowel that isn’t there.