All words ›Feng shui
CultureHow to pronounce “Feng shui”
风水fēng shuǐ
Literally: wind water.
“fung SHWAY” — the standard English version, and not what is said in Chinese
fung SHWAY is close on the consonants but wrong on the tones: the second syllable dips low, it does not rise
The shape of the word
Tap any syllable to hear it. The curve above each one is the tone you are aiming for.
Syllable by syllable
| Syllable | Tone | Practise it |
|---|---|---|
| 风 fēng | First tone — high and flat | feng — open drill → |
| 水 shuǐ | Third tone — low dip | shui — open drill → |
The final -ui hides an e: shui is really shuei, “shway”. Same hidden vowel as in duì and guì.
Questions people ask
How do you pronounce Feng shui?
Feng shui is 风水, fēng shuǐ — fung SHWAY is close on the consonants but wrong on the tones: the second syllable dips low, it does not rise. Literally it means wind water.
What is the most common mistake with Feng shui?
“fung SHWAY” — the standard English version, and not what is said in Chinese
Is there anything else worth knowing about Feng shui?
The final -ui hides an e: shui is really shuei, “shway”. Same hidden vowel as in duì and guì.
More words people mispronounce
Reading a respelling is not the same as producing the tones. The free 2-minute check listens to you and shows which syllables land wrong.