All words ›Sichuan
FoodHow to pronounce “Sichuan” (Szechuan)
四川sì chuān
Literally: four rivers.
❌ What English speakers usually say
“SETCH-wan” — the Szechuan spelling on restaurant menus
✅ What to say instead
suh-CHWAN — the first syllable has no “ee” in it at all, just a buzzed s
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 四 sì | Fourth tone — sharp fall | si — open drill → |
| 川 chuān | First tone — high and flat | chuan — open drill → |
Questions people ask
How do you pronounce Sichuan?
Sichuan is 四川, sì chuān — suh-CHWAN — the first syllable has no “ee” in it at all, just a buzzed s. Literally it means four rivers.
What is the most common mistake with Sichuan?
“SETCH-wan” — the Szechuan spelling on restaurant menus
More words people mispronounce
Xiaolongbao小笼包 xiǎo lóng bāoBaozi包子 bāo ziMapo tofu麻婆豆腐 má pó dòu fuKung pao chicken宫保鸡丁 gōng bǎo jī dīng
Can you actually say it?
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.