How to pronounce “Zhou”

周zhōu

Literally: a circuit, a week; also the Zhou dynasty.

❌ What English speakers usually say

“zoo” or “zhoo”

✅ What to say instead

joh — curled tongue, the vowel of “go”, held flat and high

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
周 zhōu	First tone — high and flat	zhou — open drill →

How do you pronounce Zhou?

Zhou is 周, zhōu — joh — curled tongue, the vowel of “go”, held flat and high. Literally it means a circuit, a week; also the Zhou dynasty.

What is the most common mistake with Zhou?

“zoo” or “zhoo”

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.