Learn Chinese & Check Pronunciation! How to Use Ondoku, a Free TTS Service

Hello, thank you for always using Ondoku.

Since Chinese uses "logographic characters," you can understand the meaning just by looking at the characters, but it is difficult to imagine the pronunciation.

English uses "phonetic characters" that represent pronunciation, so you can generally imagine the sound, but that is not the case with Chinese.

Moreover, even for the same kanji used in Japanese, the pronunciation is different in Chinese and Japanese. Furthermore, because Chinese is a tonal language, the "four tones" can result in completely different meanings and words.

Hearing this makes it feel like a language with an extremely high level of difficulty...

However, since Japanese people know kanji, they can understand the meaning through text-based communication.

By taking advantage of this, Japanese people have an overwhelming advantage in mastering Chinese compared to people from other countries.

That is why you want to master the pronunciation and speak with Chinese people in Chinese.

A common trap Japanese people fall into when having a conversation in Chinese is that "the meaning is not conveyed because my Chinese pronunciation is poor."

If you read Chinese words and sentences aloud with Ondoku, you can listen and check the pronunciation!

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How to Check Chinese Pronunciation with Ondoku

Ondoku is a service that reads aloud Chinese words and sentences you input.

It supports both Simplified and Traditional characters and allows you to choose from Mandarin (Mainland China), Cantonese (Hong Kong), and Mandarin (Taiwan).

You can check pronunciation by selecting your favorite voice from multiple speakers and adjusting the reading speed and pitch.

In addition to entering text, you can also upload images of textbooks or prints to be read aloud. The created audio can be saved in MP3 format.

In this article, we will introduce the workflow of selecting a speaker, inputting text and images, reading aloud, and saving the audio.

Reading Aloud Chinese with Ondoku

Ondoku is a text-to-speech service that can be used in a browser.

Enter the text you want to read aloud, select the type of Chinese and the speaker, and click "Read Aloud" to play the audio.

It supports Simplified and Traditional characters, and you can choose from multiple speakers, including women, men, girls, and boys.

Types of Chinese Voices in Ondoku

Voices include women, men, girls, and boys.

• Mandarin (Mainland China)
  Male: 10 types
  Female: 16 types
  Boy: 3 types
  Girl: 3 types
• Cantonese (Hong Kong)
  Male: 1 type
  Female: 2 types
• Mandarin (Taiwan)
  Male: 3 types
  Female: 3 types

Each speaker has their own unique pronunciation, allowing you to hear realistic Chinese.

• Function to make the speaking style faster or slower
• Function to make the pitch higher or lower

are also provided. Changing the settings can change the impression and ease of listening.

When I had a Chinese friend listen to the audio, they said, "Amazing! Native!"

Please try a free preview in this article.

For Chinese pronunciation check and listening! Preview native pronunciation from 41 speakers: Female, male, and girl voices

Here, you can preview the Chinese voices of Ondoku. Chinese voices can be selected from the regional languages of Mandarin (Mainland China), Cantonese (Hong Kong), and Mandarin (Taiwan). Voices include those of women, men, girls, and boys.

In addition to this, many other languages are supported, so you can use it for language learning other than Chinese.

[Ondoku] Preview voice types and sample audio for supported languages

Here, we introduce the supported languages and sample voices of Ondoku.

It can be used for free basically, and paid plans allow you to increase the number of characters read aloud even further.

However, if you are just checking Chinese pronunciation, the free range is sufficient.

If you are looking for a pronunciation site for learning Chinese, please also see this article: "[Free] Chinese Text-to-Speech Sites! Recommended for Checking Pronunciation in Language Learning."

How to Use Ondoku

Using Ondoku for free is very simple.

There is no need to download apps or software. One of its attractions is that everything can be operated in a web browser.

How to use:

1. Access the Ondoku site
2. Enter the characters you want to read aloud into the text box (copy and paste is also OK)
3. Adjust settings to your preference, such as language, voice type, and voice speed
4. Click "Read Aloud"

That's all.

Since the site supports Japanese, there is no need to worry about "What is written here?"

On overseas sites, people tend to be hesitant until they understand how to use them, but a Japanese site provides peace of mind!

Furthermore, audio can be downloaded in MP3 format.

Textbooks and Prints Can Also Be Read Aloud

Ondoku has other convenient features.

It is the "function to read text aloud when an image is uploaded."

You can read aloud text from images taken with a smartphone or other devices.

You can take photos of picture books, books, textbooks, etc., and have them read aloud by Ondoku.

Chinese includes characters that cannot normally be entered from Japanese smartphones or computers, so this is very convenient!

This feature instantly solves problems such as not knowing how to read when teaching Chinese to children at home or when reading Chinese textbooks.

Moreover, it saves time and effort because you don't have to input each word yourself.

[How to Use the Image → Text-to-Speech Function]

1. Access the Ondoku top page
2. There are "Text" and "Image" tabs above the text box
3. Click the "Image" tab
4. Click Image Upload and select your favorite image
   *In the case of a smartphone, you can also start the camera here and take a photo directly.
5. After selecting the image, adjust the reading speed and pitch.
6. Click the Read Aloud button

The image will be analyzed in a few seconds, and the audio can be read aloud.

After the image is loaded, the recognized characters are displayed in the text box.

If there are recognition errors and you want to correct the reading, you can edit it here.

Detailed usage is introduced here.

How to Use Image Reading | How to perform free OCR on text in photos and convert to audio

Explaining the features of "Ondoku," which can read text from images and photos (OCR) and read it aloud. It can be used for free. Whether on a PC or smartphone, just upload an image and reading is completed in a few seconds.

Ondoku is Perfect for Chinese Learning

Checking Chinese pronunciation, reading Chinese sentences aloud. Furthermore, it can even recognize characters from images and read them in Chinese...!

Ondoku is very convenient because so many features can be used for free!

Because it's free, you can try it right now!

May the excellent Ondoku, which reads aloud with Chinese pronunciation, help you in your Chinese studies.

Please give it a try.

For Chinese pronunciation check and listening! Preview native pronunciation from 41 speakers: Female, male, and girl voices

Here, you can preview the Chinese voices of Ondoku. Chinese voices can be selected from the regional languages of Mandarin (Mainland China), Cantonese (Hong Kong), and Mandarin (Taiwan). Voices include those of women, men, girls, and boys.

Immediately usable Chinese everyday conversation scene examples & how to make original audio teaching materials [with pronunciation audio]

We introduce Chinese everyday conversation with audio teaching materials. Furthermore, we also introduce how to make original audio teaching materials, so please use it for learning.

The best site to read aloud & download pinyin pronunciation [A must-see for Chinese learners]

Ondoku is a site where you can read aloud and download both Chinese notation and Pinyin notation text. If you use a smartphone, you can even have Chinese pronounced from a photo taken on the spot.