How to Pronounce '两': Chinese Pronunciation Guide

Q: How do you pronounce 两 in Chinese?

两 is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /ljɑŋ˨˩˦/. It means “two (before a measure word).” lyahng, one beat, low and sagging. The vowel is broad and the ending is the back nasal of "song", not the front n of "sun".

How do you pronounce "两" in Chinese?

lyahng, one beat, low and sagging. The vowel is broad and the ending is the back nasal of "song", not the front n of "sun".

两 /ljɑŋ˨˩˦/

liǎng

The measure word that follows decides how this one is actually pronounced. Liǎng bēi and liǎng zhāng keep the low dip; liǎng běn or liǎng bǎ would push it up to a rising tone because those measure words are third tone too. Given that 两 exists specifically to sit in front of measure words, the sandhi question comes up on nearly every use.

Listen: 两

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Sound it out

l- A bright, forward l with the tongue tip on the ridge — never the hollow dark l English uses at the end of "ball".

-iang Three moves in one beat: a quick "ee" glide, a wide open "ah", and closure at the back of the mouth with ng. The "ah" is the core and should be the longest part.

liǎng (dip) Down to the bottom of the range and held. Because the syllable is long, the low stretch is easy to sustain — which makes this a good word for practising the third tone honestly rather than rushing it.

Hear it in a sentence

我要两杯咖啡。

Wǒ yào liǎng bēi kāfēi.

I'd like two coffees.

Listen: 我要两杯咖啡。

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我要两杯咖啡。 places 两 before bēi, a high level first tone, so no sandhi occurs and liǎng stays low. Wǒ at the start is followed by the falling yào, so it also keeps its dip — two full third tones in one short sentence, which is unusual and worth noticing. Kāfēi finishes on two level high syllables, lifting the sentence out of its low middle.

Where English speakers slip

The most audible error is the ending: English speakers say "lyang" with a front n, or worse "lee-ang" in two beats. Let the back of the tongue close the syllable, and keep it to a single beat. There is also a usage trap that shows up as a pronunciation one — learners reach for èr here, and saying "èr bēi" instead of "liǎng bēi" is the number-one giveaway in a café.