Same syllables. Different tones. Listen to one Mandarin word, then choose the matching pinyin and characters. You have three minutes to sharpen your ear.
Mandarin Chinese03:00Try an example · no audio needed
Imagine you hear
mǎi
Which word did you hear?
Choose a card to see the feedback.
Listen for the difference
Listen
The recording plays when a round appears. Tap the speaker or press Space to hear it again.
Choose
Pick the card whose tones match the recording. Click or tap a card, or use the left and right arrow keys.
Keep going
The next pair follows after brief feedback. Listen again, choose again, and build your score before time runs out.
100 + up to 50
Points per correct answer
A correct answer earns 100 points. The speed bonus starts at 50 and drops to zero over five seconds.
−10 seconds
Wrong-answer penalty
Wrong answers earn no points and remove ten seconds. If that uses the remaining time, the game ends.
1 or 2
Characters per word
Choose one-character or two-character words before starting. Both options share the same syllables without their tones.
Turn your review into practice
After the game, review your score, accuracy, correct and wrong answers, and response times. Click a word card to hear its recording. Compare the words you confused, then try another game. The share button copies a link to your results.
English meanings stay hidden during play so you can focus on what you hear. A word can contain more than one syllable: listen for the full tone pattern, not just its first tone.
Play Tone RushTone Rush questions
Yes. Tap the speaker button or press Space during a round. The clock keeps running while you listen.
No. You can play Tone Rush and share your results as a guest.
No. Tone Rush trains listening recognition. You choose the word you hear; no microphone is needed.
Each pair has the same syllables when tones are removed, but a different tone pattern. The tones help distinguish the words.