Pinyin Tutor Demo
Register your class

Introduction

Introduction
Reasons to Learn
Usage worldwide

Spelling Rules

Pinyin Basics
Fake Initials
Treatment of ü
Vowel Shortening 
Tone Mark Rules

Pronunciation 

Pronunciation Guide
Alphabet and Sounds

Applications of Pinyin

Dictionary Lookup
Computer Input

Pinyin Charts

Traditional Chart 

Modernized Charts:
Syllables Without Glides
Syllables With Glide j
Syllables With Glide w
Syllables With Glide ɥ

Links to Other Sites

How the Pinyin Tutor works

The Pinyin Tutor tests the student’s ability to recognize the sounds of Chinese and to produce correct Pinyin. The basic version of the Pinyin Tutor works as follows:

The student listens to a recording of a Chinese word and then must type in the correct Pinyin spelling. Feedback is provided following each entry. The student is congratulated for correct entries and given specific feedback about errors. When a target word is spelled correctly on the first try, the word is logged as “learned” in the system and the student moves on.8When the spelling is incorrect, the target word is logged as “not learned” and it will be presented again until it is learned. At the end of each lesson the user's total percentage correct is displayed.

The teacher may access progress reports on an individual and aggregate level for all of the students in his/her class.

Pinyin Entry Conventions

When entering Pinyin in the Pinyin Tutor, the following conventions should be followed:

  1. Use numbers (1, 2, 3, 4) for the four tones. For example, “tóngxué” would be written as “tong2xue2”.
  2. Use number 5 for the neutral tone. For example, “shénme” would be written as “shen2me5”.
  3. Use “v” for the umlauted “ü”, as in “nv3er2” for “nǚ’ér”.
  4. Spaces are ignored and it is not case sensitive.
  5. Punctuation (such as apostrophes, questions marks or hyphens) is not accepted.

To run the Pinyin Tutor Demo:

  1. Click on the link below
  2. A login window will pop up
  3. Enter the following ID: "demo" (case sensitive) and hit carriage return.
  4. You will hear the first sound. Then type the pinyin and hit carriage return.
  5. If you are correct, you can advance to the next sound by hitting a second carriage return.
  6. If you made a mistake, you have to try two more times. You still need to hit a second carriage return to go on to the next try.
  7. If you would like to hear the sound again, hit "listen to target".

Registering an ID

To use the Pinyin Tutor, you must first create and register your own ID. Please keep in mind that the ID is case sensitive. You must use this ID consistently in all the Pinyin Tutor training sessions. If you use the wrong ID, you will not receive credit for the session. If you forget your ID, you can always retrieve it by clicking the button “I forgot my ID”. The ID will be emailed to you instantly.

Hardware and Software

The Pinyin Tutor depends on Flash Player. If you don’t have Flash Player installed in your computer, the system will prompt you to download the free Flash Player and install it. The Pinyin Tutor is basically an online dictation tool. So please remember to turn on the volume of your computer before you start doing Pinyin exercises.

Grading

Grading policies differ between schools and teachers. Please consult your syllabus or speak to your teacher for such information.

Help

If you encounter any technical difficulties, please feel free to contact John Kowalski at: