ToneDeck: Learn Chinese Tones
Joshua Salway Education iPhoneiPadiPod touch
ToneDeck: Learn Chinese Tones is a free Education app for iPhone and iPad by Joshua Salway. Requires iOS 16.4. Updated September 1, 2026.
- Price
- Free
- on the App Store
- Size
- 62 MB
- Age 4+
- Updated
- Sep 1
- 2026 · v1.0.5
Screenshots
About ToneDeck: Learn Chinese Tones
Most apps teach Mandarin tones once, in lesson one, then never again. That's why learners plateau. ToneDeck is built around the one skill the others skip: your ear for the four tones. Say mā with a falling pitch and you've called your mother a scolding. In Mandarin, tone is meaning, and the only way to get it is to train it. WHAT YOU GET • Tone ear-training - minimal-pair drills (mā / má / mǎ / mà) with pitch contours, plus a listen-and-guess quiz that scores your accuracy per tone. This is the muscle Duolingo never builds. • Pronunciation scoring - say a line and get scored on each syllable and your tones, not just whether you said the right word. • A guided beginner course - themed HSK 1 lessons that teach the words in context, with the grammar you actually need (questions, measure words, 是/有, 了) and built-in practice. • 5,500+ words - the full HSK 1-6 vocabulary plus the 1,000 most common words, every one tap-to-hear in a premium neural voice, with pinyin always coloured by tone. • 60+ real conversations - two-voice dialogues across everyday topics; play any line and check your own pronunciation. • Spaced repetition - the proven SM-2 algorithm (the one behind Anki) reschedules each word right before you'd forget it. • Stay on track - daily goals, streaks, XP, and achievements keep you coming back. Free to start. Learn the HSK 1 essentials, the full tone trainer, and daily reviews for free. ToneDeck Pro unlocks every deck (all 5,500+ words), unlimited reviews, all conversations, and pronunciation scoring, all synced to your account across your devices. Built for people serious about actually speaking Mandarin. ToneDeck Pro is an auto-renewable subscription, offered monthly or yearly with a 7-day free trial. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://tonedeck.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://tonedeck.app/privacy
What’s new
Version 1.0.5 · Updated September 1, 2026
• Corrected 91 wrong English definitions. Some common words were badly wrong: 帅 was defined as "commander-in-chief" instead of handsome, 咸 as "all" instead of salty, 丑 as "clown" instead of ugly, and 个 as "A" instead of the general classifier • Fixed the pronunciation of 44 words that were written with a full tone where the syllable is actually neutral, including 谢谢, 学生, 先生, 喜欢, 名字 and 衣服 • Removed five entries that were not Chinese words at all • Fixed: coming back to a practice set no longer replays the question you just answered, or counts it twice • Fixed: deleting your account now really clears your progress from the device • Fixed: a cold start could lose saved progress, and the splash screen could occasionally stick • Fixed: the tones drill no longer keeps playing after you leave the tab • Failed purchases and restores now tell you what actually went wrong • Honest wording: your progress lives on your device, and one subscription unlocks Pro here and on the web
App privacy
The developer, Joshua Salway, reported these privacy practices to Apple.
Data Linked to You
The following data, which may be collected and linked to your identity, may be used for the following purposes:
- Purchases: Purchase History
- Contact Info: Email Address, Name
- Identifiers: User ID
Used for: App Functionality
Data Not Linked to You
The following data, which may be collected but is not linked to your identity, may be used for the following purposes:
- User Content: Audio Data
- Diagnostics: Crash Data, Performance Data
Used for: App Functionality
Alternatives to ToneDeck: Learn Chinese Tones
Looking for apps like ToneDeck: Learn Chinese Tones? Here are 6 similar apps on the App Store. The highest rated is MandaTone: Mandarin Tones (5.0/5), and all 6 are free to download.
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Zhen: Mandarin Tone Coach
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MandaTone: Mandarin Tones
5.0
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Atone – Master Chinese Tones
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ToneMaster: Learn Mandarin
-
TonePerfect: AI Pronunciation
4.7
-
CPAIT-Chinese Pronunciation AI
4.2
| App | Rating | Price | Last updated | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ToneDeck: Learn Chinese Tones | – | Free | September 1, 2026 | |
| Zhen: Mandarin Tone Coach | – | Free | Aug 7, 2026 | Compare |
| MandaTone: Mandarin Tones | 5.0 / 5 (1) | Free | Oct 10, 2026 | Compare |
| Atone – Master Chinese Tones | – | Free | Aug 4, 2026 | Compare |
| ToneMaster: Learn Mandarin | – | Free | Dec 31, 2025 | Compare |
| TonePerfect: AI Pronunciation | 4.7 / 5 (60) | Free | Oct 14, 2026 | Compare |
| CPAIT-Chinese Pronunciation AI | 4.3 / 5 (16) | Free | Sep 25, 2026 | Compare |