How to pronounce “Liu”

刘liú

Literally: the surname of the Han dynasty emperors.

❌ What English speakers usually say

“lee-oo”, read letter by letter

✅ What to say instead

lyoh — there is a hidden o in the spelling: liu is really liou, rising

The shape of the word

Tap any syllable to hear it. The curve above each one is the tone you are aiming for.

Syllable	Tone	Practise it
刘 liú	Second tone — rising	liu — open drill →

How do you pronounce Liu?

Liu is 刘, liú — lyoh — there is a hidden o in the spelling: liu is really liou, rising. Literally it means the surname of the Han dynasty emperors.

What is the most common mistake with Liu?

“lee-oo”, read letter by letter

Can you actually say it?

Reading a respelling is not the same as producing the tones. The free 2-minute check listens to you and shows which syllables land wrong.