How to pronounce “rou” in Chinese

rou = r + ou,[ʐoʊ].Used in 2 tones and 1 word from HSK 1–3.

Hear it, then say it

Tap play for each tone, then record yourself — your pitch curve is drawn on top of the model.

揉róu

This tone exists, but no HSK 1–3 word uses it yet — practise the sound on its own.

Rise from the middle to the top, like the English question “huh?”. The rise must reach the top, not stall halfway.

— model— your pitch· Shape, not score. Scoring lives in the app.

肉ròu — meat

Start at the top and drop fast, like a firm “No!”. Short and decisive.

— model— your pitch· Shape, not score. Scoring lives in the app.

The initial: r

[ʐ]

What the mouth does: Tongue in the same curled-back position as sh, but with the voice on and a buzz added.
Closest English sound: Halfway between the r in “red” and the s in “measure” — English r with friction.
Where learners slip: Using a plain English r with no buzz, or worse, a rolled r from another language.
Drill that fixes it: Say the s of “measure”, then curl the tip back until it buzzes. Never trill it.

The final: -ou

[oʊ]

What the mouth does: Starts on a rounded o and tightens into u.
Closest English sound: The o in “go”.
Where learners slip: Mixing it up with ao — the two glide in different directions.
Drill that fixes it: ao opens then rounds; ou is rounded the whole way. Say them back to back.

“rou” in real words

Every word below comes from the HSK 1–3 vocabulary, so you can practise on words you will actually meet.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning	HSK
	ròu	meat	1

Syllables you might confuse with this one

One sound apart from this syllable — the pairs that make natives mishear you.

rou → loudifferent initial: l楼 lóu — house with more than 1 story rou → shoudifferent initial: sh收 shōu — to receive rou → rudifferent final: u如果 rú guǒ — if

Questions people ask about this syllable

How do you pronounce “rou” in Chinese?

“rou” is the initial r plus the final ou, pronounced [ʐoʊ]. Tongue in the same curled-back position as sh, but with the voice on and a buzz added. Starts on a rounded o and tightens into u. It occurs in 2 tones, and the tone changes the word completely.

Which mistake do English speakers make on “rou”?

Using a plain English r with no buzz, or worse, a rolled r from another language. Mixing it up with ao — the two glide in different directions. Fix it like this: Say the s of “measure”, then curl the tip back until it buzzes. Never trill it.

Hearing it right is half the job

The other half is producing it so a native hears the right tone. The free 2-minute check tells you which syllables are actually your weak ones.

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