All words ›Xiaomi
BrandHow to pronounce “Xiaomi”
小米xiǎo mǐ
Literally: little rice.
“ZEE-ow-mee” or “SHOW-me” — the x is read as a z or an sh
syao-MEE — x is a smiling hiss with the tongue tip down, never a rounded “sh”
Two third tones in a row never survive as written: the first turns into a second tone. So the spelling and the sound part company here.
written: xiǎo mǐ→said:xiáo mǐ
The shape of the word
Tap any syllable to hear it. The curve above each one is the tone you are aiming for.
Syllable by syllable
| Syllable | Tone | Practise it |
|---|---|---|
| 小 xiǎo | Second tone — rising (written third tone) | xiao — open drill → |
| 米 mǐ | Third tone — low dip | mi — open drill → |
Both syllables are third tone, so the first one shifts up: you actually hear “xiáo mǐ”. Say two full dipping tones in a row and you sound like a textbook.
Questions people ask
How do you pronounce Xiaomi?
Xiaomi is 小米, xiǎo mǐ — syao-MEE — x is a smiling hiss with the tongue tip down, never a rounded “sh”. Literally it means little rice.
What is the most common mistake with Xiaomi?
“ZEE-ow-mee” or “SHOW-me” — the x is read as a z or an sh
Is there anything else worth knowing about Xiaomi?
Both syllables are third tone, so the first one shifts up: you actually hear “xiáo mǐ”. Say two full dipping tones in a row and you sound like a textbook.
Why is Xiaomi not pronounced the way the tone marks are written?
Two third tones in a row never survive as written: the first turns into a second tone. So the spelling and the sound part company here.
More words people mispronounce
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.