[2026 Edition] Chinese Text-to-Speech Guide: From Pronunciation to Business

How can I read Chinese aloud and create an audio file?

In this article, I will explain the recommended methods for reading Chinese text aloud!

Essential for studying Chinese is listening to native reading voices to memorize pronunciation.

By using the latest AI reading services, you can study Chinese with reading audio of any content you like.

Furthermore, it can be used widely beyond studying, such as adding Chinese audio to videos or creating audio for inbound tourists.

Creating Chinese audio with AI reading services is very easy.

Why not use this article as a guide to utilize Chinese reading audio for your studies, hobbies, or work?

Recommended AI Services for Reading Chinese Text Aloud

Ondoku is highly recommended for reading Chinese audio aloud.

Ondoku is an AI reading service that can generate realistic and easy-to-understand audio using the latest AI engines.

Since it can read in native pronunciation, it is perfect for studying pronunciation, which is the most important part of learning Chinese.

In addition to studying, it can be used for a wide range of purposes, such as video production and tourist information for inbound visitors.

Furthermore, Ondoku can be used for free!

You can read up to 5,000 characters for free without the need for registration or login, allowing you to generate numerous free example sentences to learn pronunciation and conversational expressions.

If you want to read Chinese text aloud, why not start by using Ondoku?

【Pronunciation/Conversation】Reading Services are Recommended for Studying Chinese

I'm not getting any better at Chinese, no matter how much time passes...

In such cases, we recommend utilizing a text-to-speech service!

Pronunciation is the most important thing when studying Chinese.

Chinese pronunciation is very difficult for non-native speakers to master, and studying on your own can sometimes lead to developing incorrect habits...

Therefore, we recommend using a text-to-speech service to learn native pronunciation.

Chinese "Tones" are Difficult

In Chinese, the meaning of a word changes depending on the change in pitch.

These pitch variations in Chinese are called "tones" (shengdiao), and there are four types:

• 1st Tone: High and level tone
• 2nd Tone: Rising tone from low to high
• 3rd Tone: Low tone that dips and rises slightly
• 4th Tone: Falling tone from high to low

For example, even with the same "ma" sound:

• 1st Tone (mā)：妈 (Mother)
• 2nd Tone (má)：麻 (Numb)
• 3rd Tone (mǎ)：马 (Horse)
• 4th Tone (mà)：骂 (Scold)

As shown, if the tone changes, the meaning changes completely.

These tones are the most difficult point to learn for non-native Chinese speakers.

Since tones can change when pronounced in succession, it is necessary not just to memorize them but to actually speak them and learn the pronunciation as sound.

Chinese-specific Pronunciation is also a Difficult Point

In addition to tones, pronunciation specific to Chinese is also a very difficult point.

For example, retroflex sounds like "zh," "ch," "sh," and "r" are particularly difficult for foreigners to pronounce.

It is very common for the "ri" in "Riben ren" (Japanese person) to be unpronounceable, sounding like "li" (stand) to a native speaker.

Also, for Japanese people, the "zhong" in "Zhongguo" (China) is difficult to pronounce, and people often end up unable to pronounce either "Japan" or "China" despite studying Chinese.

Thus, Chinese is a language with very difficult pronunciation.

But don't worry.

By utilizing AI reading services, you can master Chinese pronunciation!

Reading Aloud is the Shortcut to Chinese Pronunciation

As described, Chinese has especially difficult pronunciation even among foreign languages.

The shortcut to acquiring Chinese pronunciation is to simply mimic native pronunciation while speaking.

By actually pronouncing it, you can learn Chinese pronunciation with your body rather than just your head.

However, native audio on video sites is often too fast or has an accent, making it unsuitable for mimicking.

Therefore, we recommend creating native-pronunciation reading audio using an AI reading service.

With AI reading services, you can read the entered Chinese text in very clear Putonghua (Standard Chinese) pronunciation.

When foreigners learn Chinese, the basic first step is to learn Putonghua, the standard Chinese.

By using an AI reading service, you can learn clear Putonghua with a clean, native pronunciation.

Also Recommended for Increasing Conversation Variations

AI reading services are also recommended for increasing your variations in Chinese conversation.

To be able to converse in a foreign language, the shortcut is to increase your repertoire of sentences used in conversation.

But introductory books and phrasebooks for Chinese naturally have limits on conversation variations.

Some introductory books use expressions like "Qing duo guanzhao" (Please take care of me), which native speakers don't actually use.

By reading Chinese text aloud with an AI reading service, you can obtain an infinite amount of practical teaching materials with native pronunciation for free.

By reading aloud while listening to the audio, you will become able to speak fluently with practical phrases.

Ondoku is Recommended for Studying Chinese

Ondoku is an AI service recommended for reading Chinese aloud.

It is a web service used from a browser, and you can use it immediately by opening the page from here.

A feature of Ondoku is that it can read in native pronunciation!

It can read Chinese text with easy-to-understand pronunciation that rivals announcers and actors, making it perfect for studying pronunciation and conversation.

Moreover, it supports:

• Putonghua (Standard Chinese as used in the People's Republic of China)
• Taiwan Mandarin (Standard Chinese as used in Taiwan)
• Cantonese (As used in Hong Kong, Macau, etc.)

So it can be used if you want to learn Taiwanese pronunciation or Cantonese (Cantonese is explained in detail in this article).

And what's more, Ondoku is free!

Since you can read 5,000 characters for free without registration or login, you can obtain over 100 conversation materials at once.

Why not create Chinese reading audio with the free-to-use Ondoku?

Beyond Studying! Ways to Utilize Chinese AI Text Reading

Audio generated by AI reading services can be used widely beyond Chinese study, such as for video narration and tourist information for inbound visitors.

Publishing Chinese Videos on Video Sites

For those who create videos, we recommend generating Chinese audio with an AI reading service to create Chinese-language videos.

For example, if you upload a Chinese video to YouTube, it can be viewed by ethnic Chinese people living in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and around the world.

Posting to the video site bilibili, or short video apps like Xiaohongshu (小红书) and Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok), which are services for mainland China, is also recommended.

In addition to hobby video production, utilizing Chinese reading audio in corporate promotional videos can help target the Chinese-speaking market.

Creating Inbound Guidance Audio with AI

Inbound tourists are increasing rapidly.

China (People's Republic of China) is one of the countries with a particularly large number of inbound tourists.

In addition, many inbound tourists visit from countries and regions where Chinese is used, such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore.

To prevent overtourism caused by the increase in inbound tourists, we recommend creating guidance audio with an AI reading service.

By creating guidance audio for stores, public facilities, stations, etc., in Chinese, you can accurately guide inbound tourists.

By advertising souvenirs, services, and activities in Chinese, you can also increase the revenue of stores and facilities!

It is also recommended for improving the workplace environment as it can reduce the burden of staff handling inbound tourists.

What is the Workflow for Reading Chinese Audio? Usage for Materials, Video Narration, and Inbound

I want to know how to read Chinese audio with AI!

Here, we will explain the workflow for reading Chinese and creating audio using the AI reading service Ondoku in an easy-to-understand way!

1. Prepare the Chinese Text

First, prepare the Chinese text to be read aloud.

For Pronunciation and Conversation Study

For studying Chinese pronunciation and conversation, we recommend using Chinese text from a field you are interested in.

For example, if you are a fan of celebrities or artists from the Chinese-speaking world, try using text from Chinese interview articles.

If you do business with Chinese companies, using text from Chinese news sites is also a good idea.

For Video Narration

Prepare a script for the video you want to narrate and translate it into Chinese.

When basing it on a video where people are already speaking in another language like Japanese without a script, using an AI transcription service to transcribe (textify) the video allows you to prepare the text quickly.

For video transcription, the AI transcription service Mojiokoshi-san is recommended.

This article explains how to create subtitles from videos using Mojiokoshi-san.

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For Inbound Audio Guidance

When making audio guidance for inbound tourists, prepare script text and translate it.

• This is a duty-free shop. Please feel free to ask our staff about how to purchase products.
• This ticket gate is specifically for the subway. For trains going to Tokyo Station, please use the ticket gate to the right ahead.

Prepare text for inbound tourists according to the situation.

【Tourist Facilities, Stores, Transportation】How to Create Inbound Guidance Broadcast Audio! What are the Recommended Effective Multilingual Guide Methods?

Reduce costs for inbound support! Easily create multilingual guidance broadcasts for free with AI voice. Ondoku supports over 80 languages and dialects, making it ideal for tourist facilities, stores, and transportation. Streamline guidance operations and improve customer satisfaction! Click here for details.

How to Translate Text into Chinese

If the original text is in a language other than Chinese, translate it into Chinese using translation services or generative AI services.

When using translation services, Baidu Translate (百度翻译), operated by China's "Baidu," is a staple.

While Youdao Translate (有道翻译) seems to be more widely used locally in China, Baidu Translate feels more versatile for Chinese language learners.

Also, asking generative AI services like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude to "Please translate the following text. Please explain the translated Chinese text" is also recommended.

You can create sentences that are even more natural than those from translation services, without any awkwardness even for native speakers.

Chinese translation is explained in this article.

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2. Reading with Ondoku

Read the Chinese text with Ondoku.

First, open the Ondoku top page from here.

Paste the Chinese text you want to read into the text box.

Select Language

Ondoku supports:

• Putonghua (普通话)
• Taiwan Mandarin (臺灣國語)
• Cantonese (廣東話)

Select from the languages depending on your purpose.

Select Voice Type

Choose the type of voice.

*You can listen to Chinese voice samples in this article.

Select Speed

Ondoku also allows you to choose the reading speed.

When using it for Chinese pronunciation or conversation study, we recommend changing the speed according to your learning level.

Start Reading

Once settings are complete, press the "Read Aloud" button to start.

3. Text Reading Completed

Ondoku's reading process completes almost immediately.

When the process is finished, the screen switches and an audio player is displayed.

Listen to the audio, and if there are no problems, press the "Download" button to download the MP3 file.

This completes the workflow for reading Chinese text with Ondoku!

Reading is very easy, so why not utilize Ondoku for Chinese study, video production, or inbound support?

Ondoku Also Supports Chinese Dialects!

In addition to Putonghua, Taiwan Mandarin, and Cantonese, Ondoku supports regional dialects from across the area!

Usage is simple.

Just select "Putonghua" and then choose the dialect from the "Voice" options.

can be selected.

It's interesting just to compare the same text, so it's recommended for those studying Chinese!