Type a syllable, then its tone number: ma3 → mǎ, zhong1guo2 → zhōngguó. For ü type v or u: — lv4 → lǜ, nu:3 → nǚ. 5 is the neutral tone (no mark).
About the pinyin keyboard
Pinyin writes Chinese sounds in Latin letters. Each syllable has a tone, shown by a mark on a vowel: mā má mǎ mà. The marks are hard to type on a normal keyboard.
On this page you type the syllable and its tone number, the way many learners write it: ni3hao3 becomes nǐhǎo. The page puts the mark on the right vowel by the pinyin rules. You can also click the tone buttons or the marked vowels. Then copy the text into your notes, homework or flashcards.
This page writes pinyin letters, not Chinese characters (汉字).
Features
- Tone numbers to marks — ma3 → mǎ, Bei3jing1 → Běijīng, xie4xie5 → xièxie
- Mark on the right vowel — a or e first, the o of ou, otherwise the last vowel: hǎo, duō, liù, guì
- ü the easy way — type v or u: to get ü, so lv3 → lǚ and nu:3 → nǚ
- Change a tone — type a new number after a marked syllable to replace its mark
- Tone buttons — put tone 1–4 (or the neutral tone) on the syllable before the cursor
- All 24 marked vowels — ā á ǎ à ē é ě è ī í ǐ ì ō ó ǒ ò ū ú ǔ ù ǖ ǘ ǚ ǜ in one click; Shift for capitals
- Private — everything runs in your browser; the text stays on this device for next time
The four tones (and the neutral tone)
| Number | Mark | Example | Meaning | How it sounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ā | mā 妈 | mother | high and flat |
| 2 | á | má 麻 | hemp | rising, like a question |
| 3 | ǎ | mǎ 马 | horse | low, dipping |
| 4 | à | mà 骂 | to scold | falling, short |
| 5 | (none) | ma 吗 | question word | light and short |
Where the tone mark goes
Pinyin has a simple rule, and the page follows it:
- If the syllable has a or e, the mark goes there: hǎo, xiè, lái
- In ou, the mark goes on the o: dōu, zǒu
- Otherwise it goes on the last vowel: liù, guì, duō, xióng
Typing examples
| You type | You get |
|---|---|
| ni3hao3 | nǐhǎo |
| zhong1guo2 | zhōngguó |
| xie4xie5 | xièxie |
| Bei3jing1 | Běijīng |
| lv3 | lǚ |
| nu:3 | nǚ |
| xue2sheng | xuésheng |
| xi1'an1 | xī'ān |
The number changes the last syllable before it only. So type each tone number right after its syllable. Put an ' between syllables when the split is not clear: xi1'an1 is Xī'ān (two syllables), xian1 is xiān (one).
Frequently asked questions
How do I type pinyin tone marks?
Type the syllable and then its tone number, 1 to 4: ma3 gives mǎ. Or type the syllable and click a tone button, or click the marked vowel you need in the quick bar.
How do I type ü in pinyin?
Type v or u: — lv3 gives lǚ and nu:3 gives nǚ. Plain u stays u, so lu4 gives lù (路, road) and lv4 gives lǜ (绿, green). After j, q, x and y the ü is written u: ju, qu, xue, yu.
Why did the number stay a number?
A number only becomes a tone after a pinyin syllable. After a word that is not pinyin, or after other numbers like 2026, it stays as you typed it. Untick "Numbers to tone marks" to type numbers everywhere.
Does this keyboard write Chinese characters?
No. It writes pinyin with tone marks. To write characters, use a Chinese input method on your computer or phone.
Is my text saved or uploaded?
Nothing is uploaded. Your text is kept in this browser only, so it is still there when you come back.
Related tools
- Japanese Keyboard — hiragana and katakana
- Korean Keyboard — type in Hangul
- Vietnamese Keyboard — Telex and VNI
- Chinese Zodiac Calculator — your animal sign
- Text to Speech — hear text read out
How to use it
- Type a syllable and its tone number on your own keyboard: ma3 → mǎ — no need to click the text box first
- For ü, type v or u: — lv4 → lǜ
- Or type the syllable and click a tone button, or click a marked vowel in the quick bar
- Hold Shift for capital letters: Ā Á Ǎ À
- Click Copy and paste your pinyin anywhere, or Search Google in one click
