# Taiwanese Hokkien Tone Trainer: Learn Hokkien Tones

> Learn Taiwanese Hokkien tones with live feedback: calibrate your voice range, then the app checks your pitch curve against the target tone, with one named hint per mistake. 7 tones on 21 syllables, then 12 words with real tone sandhi. Free, no account, nothing ever leaves your device.

*Interactive tool: enter your values at https://toollantern.win/learn-taiwanese-hokkien-tones/ and results update instantly in your browser.*

## Frequently asked questions
### How many tones does Taiwanese Hokkien have?

Seven distinct tones. In the traditional count there are eight, but tone 6 merged with tone 2, so only seven remain: tones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8. The numbers skip 6 on purpose: they are the historical tone classes, and keeping them makes dictionaries and textbooks line up.

### What is tone sandhi?

Tone sandhi is how tones change in connected speech. In Hokkien, only the last syllable in a phrase keeps its citation tone; every earlier syllable changes. In Taipei speech: tone 1 becomes 7, tone 2 becomes 1, tone 3 becomes 2, tone 5 becomes 3, tone 7 becomes 3, and the checked tones swap, 4 becomes 8 and 8 becomes 4.

### Do I need to know Hokkien to use the trainer?

No. The app starts from zero: it teaches the 7 tones on 21 syllables with POJ spelling, Chinese characters, and English glosses. You need no Hokkien at all, just a microphone and a willingness to say kun seven different ways.

### Why do I have to calibrate my voice range first?

Hokkien tones differ by pitch LEVEL as well as shape. Tone 1 and tone 7 are both flat, one high, one mid. Calibration slides from your lowest to your highest comfortable note so the app knows where your high, middle, and low sit. Without it, a high note for one voice could be a middle note for another.

### What is the difference between tone 1 and tone 7?

Level alone: both are flat, tone 1 sits high and tone 7 sits in the middle. That is why calibration matters. Say tone 1 near the top of your range and tone 7 in the middle, and keep both steady.

### What is the difference between tone 1 and tone 8?

Length: both are high, but tone 8 is short and cut off with a stop consonant, while tone 1 is held flat for a full beat. When pitch alone ties between these two, the app uses duration to tell them apart, and says so honestly when your length sits in between.

### What are checked tones?

Tones 4 and 8 are the checked (entering) tones: they end in a stop consonant (-p, -t, -k, or -h) and are cut off short, like a staccato note. A checked tone held for a full beat sounds like its long twin, so the app reminds you to say them short.

### Does the app teach Taipei or Tainan tones?

Taipei. The citation tones are the same either way, but the sandhi differs: in Taipei speech tone 5 becomes tone 3 before another syllable, while in Tainan speech it becomes tone 7. The app teaches Taipei sandhi and says so in every lesson.

### Does the app judge my accent or how high my voice is?

Neither. It judges your pitch contour against the target tone: its level, its shape, and whether it is held or cut short, measured inside your own calibrated range. A low voice and a high voice are graded the same way.

### Does the app record my voice?

No. Voice frames are analysed on your device and discarded immediately. Nothing is recorded, uploaded or shared, and the page security policy blocks connections to every outside server. The Offline proof panel shows the live request log to prove it.

### Does it work offline?

Yes, after your first visit. The app and all the lessons are saved on your device, so it works with no network at all. There is no model to download: pitch detection is pure signal processing that ships with the app.

### How do points, levels and badges work, and can I delete my progress?

Each matched tone is +10 points, and a perfect quiz round adds +20. Levels are New Voice, Tone Learner, Tone Star, and Master of Hokkien Tones. Tone pairs unlock at 50 points. Badges cover the first match, all 21 syllables, all 12 tone pairs, a perfect round, and a 7-day streak. To delete everything, open Offline proof on the home page and press Delete all my data, or open Settings and press Clear progress.

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Interactive version: https://toollantern.win/learn-taiwanese-hokkien-tones/