[2026 Guide] Chinese Reading Aloud: Best Apps, Sites, and Study Methods

I can read Chinese, but I can't speak it! I want to know how to study by reading aloud!

If you are **studying Chinese**, which has particularly difficult pronunciation among foreign languages, I highly recommend **reading aloud** anyway!

Because Chinese has **four tones** and **pronunciations not found in other languages**, it is difficult to study conversation and speaking.

Especially for Japanese people who can read Kanji, they often end up feeling that **"I understand the meaning of Chinese, but I can't read the sentences out loud."**

That's why I recommend **reading Chinese aloud using an AI text-to-speech site**!

By **creating Chinese reading materials** with the free sites and apps introduced in this article, anyone can effectively study Chinese conversation and speaking.

I will also introduce recommended Chinese reading practice sentences, so why not use this article as a reference to study Chinese by reading aloud?

[Free] Ondoku: A Recommended Site (Web App) for Reading Chinese Aloud

If you want to **study Chinese by reading aloud**, I recommend the free text-to-speech site Ondoku!

Ondoku is a web app that can read out entered Chinese in **easy-to-hear and realistic Chinese with native pronunciation**.

Since it can be used from the website, it is available on **PCs, smartphones, and tablets**.

You can also change the speed of the reading to match your Chinese learning level.

**And Ondoku is free!**

You can read up to 5,000 characters for free, so you can create over 100 types of Chinese practice sentence texts at once for free.

If you are going to study Chinese by reading aloud, why not try using the text-to-speech site Ondoku?

How to read Chinese aloud? Free study methods using sites and apps

For those who have studied Chinese before, are many of you like this?

• I somewhat understand the meaning of the sentences
• I have no idea about the pronunciation

Especially for Japanese people who understand Kanji, it is a common story to **"understand the meaning of the characters but not the pronunciation."**

Therefore, I recommend **memorizing Chinese through reading aloud**!

I will explain tips for reading Chinese aloud and tips for studying Chinese for free using text-to-speech sites and apps.

Reasons why Chinese pronunciation and conversation are difficult

There are three reasons why Chinese pronunciation, conversation, speaking, and listening are difficult.

1. Difficult to memorize Chinese tones

First, **tones and pronunciation are difficult.**

When you start studying Chinese, the first thing you are taught are the **four tones.**

Since this is a **concept not found in Japanese or English**, it can be confusing when you first start studying.

Also, it is tedious to memorize the tone for every single word.

You may often remember the sound of the word but not the tone.

2. Difficult to pronounce tones in succession

However, there is a point that is even more difficult than individual tones.

That is **reading out words continuously as a sentence.**

Even if you can pronounce individual words well, it is common to struggle when trying to **pronounce the tones of multiple words connected together.**

To become able to connect words and pronounce them as sentences, **the best way is to memorize the text by reading it aloud!**

I recommend reading Chinese aloud using the free sites and apps introduced in this article.

3. Difficulties with unique Chinese pronunciations

Furthermore, **pronunciations unique to Chinese** are also a difficult point.

For example, the **retroflex sounds of zhi, shi, chi, and ri** are points that people often tend to gloss over.

It is common to think you are pronouncing "ri" when it is actually "li."

When Chinese native speakers talk to foreigners, they often understand these as common mistakes, but it is better to learn the correct pronunciation rather than relying on their kindness.

This is another area where you want to memorize the correct pronunciation by reading aloud text with native pronunciation created by an AI text-to-speech site.

Three benefits of studying Chinese by reading aloud

Studying Chinese pronunciation and speaking by reading aloud offers many benefits.

You can not only memorize pronunciation but also **learn natural Chinese with your whole body.**

1. You can learn Chinese as a flow

When you are speaking your native language, such as Japanese, you aren't conscious of every single word, are you?

It's the same when a native Chinese person speaks Chinese.

Yes, the **key to mastering a language** is to **become able to read sentences aloud as a single flow.**

In fact, even Chinese beginners should have memorized their first sentences, like "我是日本人," as a single block of flow.

Reading Chinese aloud is the **process of increasing the number of sentences you memorize in the same way as a block.**

By repeatedly reading Chinese aloud with the same pronunciation and rhythm as native Chinese audio, you can memorize sentences as a flow.

The more **repertoire of sentences you have memorized as a flow**, the more tools you will have in your Chinese toolbox, allowing you to speak Chinese fluently.

2. You can understand where to pause and where to emphasize

Another benefit of reading Chinese example texts aloud is understanding **where native speakers pause** and **where they emphasize.**

By **imitating and reading aloud along with native Chinese audio**, you will be able to acquire the points where you should pause and take a breath, or emphasize while speaking in Chinese.

With the latest AI text-to-speech sites (apps), you can realistically read out the points for pausing and emphasizing in Chinese.

When foreigners speak Chinese, the expression often tends to be flat and lacking in contrast.

By repeatedly reading Chinese example texts aloud, it is **possible to acquire Chinese that does not sound like a monotone reading.**

3. You can also train your listening skills

Reading aloud is also recommended when you want to improve your Chinese listening skills.

A rule that applies to all languages is that **"what you can speak, you can hear."**

By repeatedly reading aloud Chinese example texts and increasing your repertoire, the amount of Chinese you can understand by listening will steadily increase.

When studying Chinese, **I recommend actually reading aloud rather than just listening.**

Why not practice pronunciation, speaking, and listening simultaneously through reading Chinese aloud?

Recommended AI Text-to-Speech Site (Web App) for Reading Chinese Aloud

If you want to study Chinese pronunciation and speaking by reading aloud, I recommend Ondoku!

Ondoku is a text-to-speech site that can **generate easy-to-hear and realistic Chinese audio** using the latest AI.

As it is a **web app used from a browser**, you can use it from any environment, including **PCs, smartphones, and tablets**!

You can also generate **audio that is read slowly** according to your Chinese learning level, making it possible to memorize example sentences smoothly.

In addition to being able to read out **Putonghua (Standard Chinese)** with a variety of male, female, and children's voices,

• Sichuan dialect
• Henan dialect
• Shandong dialect
• Liaoning dialect
• Shaanxi dialect
• Taiwan Mandarin
• Cantonese

are also supported, so it is also recommended for those who want to further level up their Chinese speaking and listening, or those who want to learn Hong Kong Cantonese.

**And Ondoku can be used for free!**

The number of characters you can read aloud for free is 5,000.

Since Chinese has a small number of characters per sentence, you can create many reading materials for **free**.

Why not utilize the AI text-to-speech site Ondoku to study Chinese pronunciation, speaking, and conversation?

[Free] What is the recommended method for reading Chinese aloud? (Site/App)

Reading example texts aloud is the optimal study method for learning Chinese pronunciation and speaking.

But how can you read aloud effectively?

From here, I will explain recommended Chinese reading methods using an AI text-to-speech site.

1. Find example sentences in fields you are interested in

An important part of language study is **using example sentences in fields you are interested in.**

Every person studying Chinese should have a **reason why they started studying.**

First, try looking for **example sentences related to that field.**

If travel or work was the catalyst, example sentences for travel or work-related text are best.

Recently, the number of people studying Chinese because of Chinese-made games like "Genshin Impact" or "Honkai: Star Rail," or because of Chinese celebrities and singers, has also increased.

In such cases, I also recommend looking for original Chinese lines from games or example sentences for fan activities for celebrities.

**In the second half of this article, I introduce Chinese example texts for various scenes.**

Please feel free to use them for reading Chinese aloud.

2. Practice the pronunciation of unfamiliar words

Next, look up **unfamiliar words that appear in the example text.**

Once you know the pronunciation of the word, try **practicing that word individually.**

3. Create read-aloud texts with the site/app

Once you have memorized the pronunciation of the words, try **reading the entire example text aloud.**

First, create the **materials for reading the example text aloud** with an **AI text-to-speech site (app)**.

Since the AI text-to-speech site (app) allows you to change the reading speed, try making the audio **from a slower speed at first**, according to your **Chinese level**.

For Chinese AI reading, I recommend Ondoku!

I will briefly explain **how to create Chinese reading audio with Ondoku**.

How to read out Chinese example texts with the AI text-to-speech site Ondoku

Open the Ondoku page from this link.

Paste the Chinese example text into the text box.

Select Chinese in the language selection box (for Standard Chinese, select **"Chinese (Mainland China)"**).

Select the voice type.

You can listen to samples of the audio in this article! Please check it out.

For Chinese learning pronunciation confirmation and listening! Listen to native pronunciation, 40 speakers (trial listening) voices of women, men, and girls

Here, you can listen (trial listening) to Ondoku's Chinese voices. Chinese audio can be selected from the regional languages of Simplified Chinese (Putonghua), Cantonese, and Traditional Chinese (Guoyu). Voices include those of women, men, girls, and boys.

If you want to read aloud slowly, also select the reading speed.

Now you are ready.

**Press "Read" to start reading.**

The reading process will be completed immediately.

The screen will change and the audio player will be displayed.

Listen with the audio player and if there are no problems, download the file.

**If the speed is too fast or too slow, try changing the speed and regenerating** (since Chinese has few characters per sentence, you can generate many audio files for free).

4. Read aloud along with a slower audio

Once you have created the reading audio, **actually read aloud along with the audio.**

**First, practice repeatedly along with the slower audio until you can read it aloud well.**

The point is to read aloud at the same speed without falling behind or getting stuck.

Another tip is to practice without looking at the Pinyin, focusing only on the sound.

5. Practice along with normal speed audio

Once you can read aloud well along with the slower audio, try **speeding up your reading.**

In the same way you made the slower audio, **read out the example text at normal speed on the Ondoku page.**

Once the reading file is ready, **practice reading aloud repeatedly** just as you did with the slower audio.

It's okay once you can read aloud smoothly without falling behind or getting stuck.

**Now your Chinese repertoire has increased by one!**

Next, try studying other sentences by reading aloud in the same way!

As you can see, the Chinese reading study method using Ondoku is very simple.

**Why not try making audio for studying Chinese with the AI text-to-speech site Ondoku?**

Useful for conversations with Chinese people! Practical pronunciation example sentence collection to learn first

From here, I will introduce practical example texts that can be used to create teaching audio with Ondoku!

I have prepared example sentences that are helpful for the little details when actually communicating with Chinese people, so please make use of them.

14 Example Sentences for First-Time Conversations with Chinese People

First, here are example sentences that are useful when you are not yet used to having conversations in Chinese.

8 Example Sentences About Why You Started Studying Chinese

When someone studying Chinese speaks with a native Chinese speaker, they are often asked why they started studying Chinese.

Here, I will introduce text examples explaining the reasons for starting to study Chinese, categorized by pattern.

7 Example Sentences Related to Exchanging Contacts and SNS

When you become friends with a Chinese person, you might exchange contact information for Chinese chat apps like WeChat (微信) or QQ.

Also, with Chinese people living in Japan, you might exchange LINE contact information or follow each other on Twitter, just as you would with Japanese people.

Here, I will introduce example texts regarding contacts and SNS accounts.

13 Example Sentences for Calls and Voice Chats

When you make Chinese friends online, you will likely start calling them through apps or playing games while using voice chat.

Here, I will introduce example texts that can be used when communicating with Chinese friends online.

10 Example Sentences Related to Apps and the Internet

When you become interested in Chinese culture, using Chinese apps and internet services is recommended.

However, Chinese apps and services can be difficult for foreigners to use.

Here, I will introduce example sentences related to apps and internet services.

6 Example Sentences About Chinese Culture in Japan

Topics that are popular when speaking with Chinese people in Japan include Chinese-related culture in Japan and the culture of Chinese people living in Japan.

Here, I will introduce example texts about Chinese culture in Japan.

9 Example Sentences About Travel

Example texts related to traveling to China.

5 Example Sentences Related to Literature

Example texts regarding literature and art, from classical to modern.

11 Example Sentences Related to Manga, Anime, and Games

Many Chinese people who want to talk with and befriend Japanese people became interested in Japanese culture because of anime, manga, and games.

It is convenient to memorize sentences about anime, manga, and games when speaking with Chinese people.

*Please replace titles as needed.

Manga/Anime Titles Useful for Conversations with Chinese People

Game Titles Useful for Conversations with Chinese People

Game Titles from China

4 Example Sentences Related to Entertainment and YouTubers

Standard topics for small talk with Chinese people include entertainment and YouTubers.

Here, I will introduce example texts related to entertainment and YouTubers.

4 Example Sentences About Chinese Products

Finally, here are example texts regarding Chinese products that are also commonly used in Japan.