When you start learning Chinese, you may feel daunted by its distinctive writing system, or the tones. But something that might not instantly worry you is the languageโs relative lack of sounds.
However, when compared with languages like English, Chinese has fewer possible phonemes (in other words, sounds) โ which is essentially why it developed tones (although there is something of the chicken and the egg in this statement!).
The result of this is that there are a large number of Chinese homophones. Both true homophones that have the same sound and the same tone and near homophones that have the same sound but a different tone.
This can make it difficult for you to remember the tones. It also sometimes creates some confusion as to the meaning of whatโs being said. So to help, in this post, I list some of the most common Chinese homophones to help you overcome these problems.
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Table of Contents
Single Character Chinese Homophones

With its four tones, Chinese has a huge number of single-character homophones. However, for beginners, there's a more limited number that you need to master from the start, so letโs have a look at some of the most important.
1. ไนฐ mฤi and ๅ mร i
In tonal languages, pairs of words always seem to exist that are almost perversely similar-sounding for vocabulary items with such different meanings (for example, in Thai, the words for โnearโ and โfarโ sound almost identical to the untrained ear).
In Chinese, perhaps the best example of this is ไนฐ mฤi and ๅ mร i, meaning โbuyโ and โsellโ respectively โ these two opposite words are identical in pronunciation apart from the tone.
To the beginner, this might seem as though itโs been deliberately designed to make the language as confusing as possible. But itโs not so bad once you get used to it.
ไนฐ mฤi is pronounced with a third tone, one that starts at the middle of your normal vocal range and then drops down before rising again to where you started. ๅ mร i, on the other hand, starts at the top of your comfortable vocal range and drops, sounding quite different.
2. ๅฆ mฤ, ้บป mรก, ้ฉฌ mฤ, ้ช mร and ๅ ma
The five versions of the phoneme ma are the most commonly used example for demonstrating the four tones (plus the neutral tone) of Chinese.
Amusingly, ๅฆ mฤ means โmotherโ while ้ฉฌ mฤ means โhorseโ, so these are obviously two you donโt want to mix up!
้บป mรก is a character meaning โhempโ while ้ช mร means โto swearโ or โto curseโ. So these two are low-frequency words that you don't need to worry about as a beginner. However, ๅ ma with no tone is the question particle, making it one of the first words in Chinese youโll learn.
3. ๆ yลu, ๅ yรฒu and ๅณ yรฒu
Another of the first words youโll learn in Chinese is ๆ yลu, meaning โto haveโ. This is a common phoneme in Chinese, and many other characters are pronounced you with different tones.
Two high-frequency you words to be aware of from the beginning are ๅ yรฒu and ๅณ yรฒu, both pronounced with a fourth tone. The first of these means โagainโ while the second means โrightโ (as in the opposite of left).
4. ๅฅฝ hฤo and ๅท hร o
If the first thing you learn in Chinese is โhelloโ, ๅฅฝ hฤo (good) will be the second character you meet since it appears in ไฝ ๅฅฝ nฤญ hฤo (hello), an expression that, word for word, translates as โyou goodโ.
However, ๅฅฝ hฤo shouldnโt be confused with ๅท hร o, which is pronounced with a falling tone and means โnumberโ or โmarkโ among other things.
5. ๅค gรฒu and ็ gลu
ๅค gรฒu means โenoughโ and is an extremely useful word to know. But donโt confuse it with ็ gลu because that means โdogโ.
6. ้จ yลญ and ้ฑผ yรบ
These two characters both have watery associations but make sure you donโt mix them up. ้จ yลญ means โrainโ while ้ฑผ yรบ means โfishโ.
7. ๆฌ bฤn and ็ฌจ bรจn
ๆฌ bฤn is the measure word for books while ็ฌจ bรจn means โstupidโ โ so this is one that could potentially land you in trouble if you donโt pronounce it correctly.
8. ่ cร i, ๆ cรกi and ็ cฤi
่ cร i means โdishโ or โvegetablesโ, ๆ cรกi means โonlyโ and ็ cฤi means โto guessโ โ the first two in particular are high-frequency words, so youโll need to make sure you remember the correct tones.

9. ๅฐฑ jiรน, ้ jiลญ, ๆง jiรน andไน jiลญ
ๅฐฑ jiรน is an important word in Chinese with many meanings that can best be translated as โthenโ. Itโs not to be confused with ้ jiลญ, which means alcohol.
Jiu is a common phoneme in Chinese. For example, ๆง jiรน is pronounced the same as ๅฐฑ jiรน but means โoldโ (for things, not people).
ไน jiลญ, on the other hand, is pronounced the same as ้ jiลญ but means โnineโ.
10. ๆฑค tฤng, ็ณ tรกng and ็ซtร ng
Be careful not to mix up ๆฑค tฤng (soup) with ็ณ tรกng, which means โsugarโ or โsweets/candyโ.
Some people also confuse the ็ซ tร ng (hot, scalding) in ้บป่พฃ็ซ mรกlร tร ng (a type of Chinese street food) with ๆฑค tฤng because they think it refers to the soup the food is cooked in rather than the scalding hot temperature.
11. ่ฟ yuฤn, ้ข yuร n, ๅญ yuรกn and ๅ yuรกn
A common phoneme in Chinese is yuan, and remembering the correct tones for this one always seems to give people problems!
่ฟ yuฤn with a third tone means โfarโ while ้ข yuร n with a fourth tone means โcourtyardโ โ you'll come across it in words like ๅป้ข yฤซyuร n (hospital) and ็ตๅฝฑ้ข diร nyฤญngyuร n (cinema).
Then thereโs also ๅญ yuรกn, a character youโre most likely to first encounter in ๅ ฌๅญ gลngyuรกn (park) as well as ๅ yuรกn, the word used for Chinese currency.
12. ็น diฤn, ๅบ diร n and ็ต diร n
็น diฤn (drop, spot) is an important word since, among other things, itโs used for telling the time (for example, ไธ็น sฤn diฤn means โthree oโclockโ).
However, be sure not to confuse it with ๅบ diร n (a character referring to a shop or inn) which you might come across in ๅๅบ shฤngdiร n (shop) or ้ฅญๅบ fร ndiร n (restaurant or hotel).
็ต diร n (electricity) is also pronounced with a fourth tone and is commonly encountered in words like ็ต่ diร nnฤo (computer โ literally โelectric brainโ) and ็ต่ฏ diร nhuร (telephone โ literally โelectric wordโ).
13. ไนฆ shลซ, ๆ shรน and ๆฐ shรน/shลญ
Also not to be confused are ไนฆ shลซ (book) and ๆ shรน (tree). ๆฐ can be pronounced shรน (meaning โnumberโ) or shลญ (meaning โcountโ) and also shouldn't be confused.
Polysyllabic Chinese Homophones

So far, weโve only looked at single-character words. But there are also plenty of homophones in Chinese that consist of two or more characters. So letโs look at some of the most important examples now.
14. ๆ่ huรฒzhฤ and ๆดป็ huรณzhe
One important pair to be aware of is ๆ่ huรฒzhฤ and ๆดป็ huรณzhe. The first of these means โorโ while the second means โaliveโ or โlivingโ.
15. ็ก่ง shuรฌjiร o and ๆฐด้ฅบ shuฤญjiฤo
Sometimes if you get the tones wrong, what youโre saying just wonโt make sense. But other times, mispronouncing the tones can lead to comical results.
A good example of this is ็ก่ง shuรฌjiร o (to sleep) and ๆฐด้ฅบ shuฤญjiฤo (boiled dumplings).
Imagine going to a dumpling seller and saying ๆ่ฆ็ก่ง wล yร o shuรฌjiร o (I want to sleep) โ if you do this, heโll probably tell you to go to bed!
On the other hand, if youโre with your friends and are feeling sleepy, if you accidentally say ๆ่ฆๆฐด้ฅบ wล yร o shuฤญjiฤo (I want boiled dumplings), donโt be surprised when someone brings you a plate of food instead of saying goodnight.
16. ๆฑ่ฏญ hร nyลญ and ้ฉ่ฏญ hรกnyลญ
Another striking example of how words with different meanings can be separated by nothing more than a single tone is ๆฑ่ฏญ hร nyลญ and ้ฉ่ฏญ hรกnyลญ.
As you can see, the first one is pronounced with a falling tone on the first syllable while the second has a rising tone.
The first means โChinese (language)โ while the second means โKorean (language).โ So just by getting one tone wrong, people will think youโre talking about a completely different tongue!
17. ไธๆตท shร nghฤi and ไผคๅฎณ shฤnghร i
ไธๆตท shร nghฤi is Chinaโs biggest and arguably most cosmopolitan city while ไผคๅฎณ shฤnghร i means โto hurtโ.
18. ่ๅ ฌ lฤogลng and ๅณๅทฅ lรกogลng
Hereโs another amusing homophone. ่ๅ ฌ lฤogลng is a familiar word for โhusbandโ while ๅณๅทฅ lรกogลng means โlabourerโ. And some ๅฆป็ฎกไธฅ qฤซguฤnyรกn (hen-pecked husbands) might wryly note that they donโt see much difference between the two!

19. ไธๅ shร ngwลญ and ๅๅก shฤngwรน
These two words may sound similar, but their meanings are quite different. ไธๅ shร ngwลญ means โmorningโ but ๅๅก shฤngwรน means โcommerceโ or โbusinessโ.
20. ๆฏๅญ bฤizi and ่ขซๅญ bรจizi
If youโre not used to Chinese tones, a first (high) tone and a fourth (falling) tone can be easy to mishear. A good example of the confusion this might cause is ๆฏๅญ bฤizi (cup, glass) and ่ขซๅญ bรจizi (quilt).
21. ๆฐดๅนณ shuฤญpรญng and ๆฐด็ถ shuฤญpฤญng
These two words are only distinguished by a single tone. ๆฐดๅนณ shuฤญpรญng means โlevelโ (as in your level in a language, for example) while ๆฐด็ถ shuฤญpฤญng means โwater bottleโ.
Incidentally, ๆฐด็ถๅบง shuฤญpฤญngzuรฒ is the Chinese word for the Western Zodiac sign Aquarius.
22. ๅๅ yฤlรฌ and ้ธญๆขจ yฤlรญ
A pair of similar-sounding words with some scope for confusion is ๅๅ yฤlรฌ (pressure, stress) and ้ธญๆขจ yฤlรญ (a type of pear).
For example, if you want to say you are under lots of stress but say yฤlรญ hฤn dร (the pear is very big) instead of yฤlรฌ hฤn dร (the pressure is very big), youโre likely to get a few odd looks.
23. ็็ซ xiรณngmฤo and ่ธๆฏ xiลngmรกo
Another one that might give you a giggle and could possibly lead to some interesting misunderstandings โ ็็ซ xiรณngmฤo means โpandaโ while ่ธๆฏ xiลngmรกo with the opposite tones means โchest hairโ.
Identical Pronunciation, Different Characters

Many words in Chinese are true homophones โ they are pronounced in exactly the same way (including the tones) but are distinguished in writing since the characters are different.
This isnโt usually a problem since itโs almost always clear what the speaker means from the context. Youโve already seen several of these above, and here are a few more examples of some of the most common ones.
24. ๅจ zร i and ๅ zร i
An extremely high-frequency word in Chinese is ๅจ zร i โ its main meaning is โto be atโ, but itโs also used to mark continuous actions (as in ๆๅจๅ้ฅญ wล zร i chฤซ fร n โ โIโm eatingโ).
ๅ zร i, on the other hand, means โagainโ and also appears in the word ๅ่ง zร ijiร n (goodbye โ literally โagain seeโ). Itโs almost as high frequency as ๅจ zร i and is pronounced in exactly the same way.
25. ๅ jiฤ and ๅฎถ jiฤ
Two more high-frequency words are ๅ jiฤ (to add) and ๅฎถ jiฤ (home). Again, these words have no difference in terms of pronunciation, so you need to pay attention to the context to tell them apart.
ๅฎถ jiฤ is a word meaning โhomeโ that encompasses the physical building but also carries the implication of the people who live there and a sense of belonging. This is why โhomeโ is a better translation than โhouseโ.
ๅ jiฤ, by contrast, means โto addโ, and youโll also come across it in the peculiar Chinese expression ๅ ๆฒน jiฤ yรณu. This literally translates as โadd oilโ โ you can say it to someone to offer them encouragement or you can shout it at your sports team to urge them on.
26. ่ฆ yร o, ่ฏ yร o and ๅฌ yฤo
่ฆ yร o, primarily meaning โto wantโ, is likely to be among the first words you meet in Chinese. And you need to make sure you donโt mix it up with other relatively high-frequency words with similar pronunciation.
One example is ่ฏ yร o, meaning โmedicineโ. It's also pronounced with a fourth tone, and only the context will allow you to determine which of the two the speaker means โ although when written, the characters are different.
ๅฌ yฤo, on the other hand, is pronounced the same but with a different tone โ this word means โto biteโ.
27. ๅ zuรฒ, ๅ zuรฒ and ไฝ zuรฒ
ๅ zuรฒ (to do) and ๅ zuรฒ (to sit) are pronounced identically, but the context will almost always make it clear which is being used.
ไฝ zuรฒ is another common character with the same pronunciation. It's usually encountered in polysyllabic words such as ๅทฅไฝ gลngzuรฒ (work) or ไฝไธ zuรฒyรจ (homework), so the meaning is always easy to understand.
28. ่ฆๆฏ yร oshi and ้ฅๅ yร oshi
Two relatively high-frequency words with identical pronunciation are ่ฆๆฏ yร oshi (if) and ้ฅๅ yร oshi (key). Here, the only way to tell them apart is by using the context of the conversation. Although in practice, it will always be obvious which one is meant.
Superstitions And Blessings

The Chinese are fully aware that lots of their words sound very similar. And this feature of the language and the resulting wordplays it creates has an important role in Chinese culture.
Many Chinese superstitions as well as traditional blessings stem from puns and homophones. And here are a few traditional Chinese homophones you should know.
29. ๅ sรฌ and ๆญป sฤญ
In Chinese culture โ and East Asian culture more widely โ itโs important to realise that the number 4 is seen as being extremely unlucky. This comes from the fact that ๅ sรฌ (4) sounds very similar to ๆญป sฤญ (to die).
Itโs fair to say that the Chinese are traditionally very superstitious, and as a result, in hotels throughout China, you will rarely find a hotel with a fourth floor โ in much the same way that many Western hotels eschew a 13th floor.
30. ้้ sรฒng zhลng and ้็ป sรฒng zhลng
In China, itโs considered extremely bad taste to give somebody a clock as a gift.
This is because the expression ้้ sรฒng zhลng sounds a lot like ้็ป sรฒng zhลng, which refers to attending to a dying parent or going to their funeral.
This may seem a bit morbid, but itโs a great example of how the Chinese are very sensitive to near homophones that remind them of unfortunate or undesirable events.
31. ๆ shร n, ไผ sฤn and ๆฃ sร n/sฤn
Other gifts to avoid in China are fans (ๆ shร n) and umbrellas (ไผ sฤn).
This is because both words sound similar to ๆฃ, a character that can be pronounced as either sร n or sฤn.
With a fourth tone, it means โto break up, disperseโ and with a third tone, it means โto fall apart, scatterโ. These are not things you want to happen to your friendship, which is why fans and umbrellas are among the worst gifts you can choose in China.
This reminds me of a story a Chinese-speaking friend told me from her early days of learning Chinese.
She was picking up some souvenirs to take back with her after a trip to China. She was choosing a set of inexpensive but ornate fans to give to people back home when she noticed the uncomfortable look on her Chinese friendโs face.
Her friend tried to explain why fans were not a good choice of gift. But while she got the gist of what she was saying, between her limited Chinese at the time and her friend's broken English, she couldnโt quite catch the details.
My friend has since learnt why the presents she was buying caused her such consternation. And I hope sharing her story here might help others avoid committing similar cultural faux pas in the future!
32. ็ไนฆ kร n shลซ/ๅธฆไนฆ dร i shลซ and ็่พ kร n shลซ/ๅธฆ่พ dร i shลซ
Another Chinese superstition concerns books.
When you are engaged in some kind of activity that requires luck โ buying shares, for example โ you should neither read nor carry a book.
This is because ็ไนฆ kร n shลซ (read a book) and ๅธฆไนฆ dร i shลซ (carry a book) are pronounced the same as ็่พ kร n shลซ andๅธฆ่พ dร i shลซ. Since ่พ shลซ means โto loseโ, these expressions are considered unlucky.
33. ๅนดๅนดๆ้ฑผ niรกn niรกn yลu yรบ and ๅนดๅนดๆไฝ niรกn niรกn yลu yรบ
Many positive superstitions and blessings in Chinese culture also come from homophones. And perhaps the most famous is ๅนดๅนดๆ้ฑผ niรกn niรกn yลu yรบ, which can be translated as โmay we have fish every yearโ.
It's a common blessing during the Spring Festival feast, a.k.a Chinese New Year, and is also the reason why fish is always served during this meal.
This is because the pronunciation is the same as ๅนดๅนดๆไฝ niรกn niรกn yลu yรบ, which means โmay there be a surplus every yearโ, expressing a desire for bountiful harvests and plenty of food and wealth to go around.

34. ๅนด็ณ niรกngฤo and ๅนด้ซ niรกngฤo
Along the same lines is a play on the words ๅนด็ณ niรกngฤo (New Yearโs cake) and ๅนด้ซ niรกngฤo (which literally means โyear highโ and translates as โvenerable ageโ).
During Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) celebrations, people eat ๅนด็ณ niรกngฤo while saying ๅนดๅนด้ซ niรกn niรกn gฤo to wish each other a prosperous long life.
35. ็ฆๅฐไบ fรบ dร o le and ็ฆๅไบ fรบ dร o le
Another of the classic Spring Festival-related wordplays comes from the two characters ๅฐ dร o and ๅ dร o, both pronounced the same way.
The Chinese character ็ฆ fรบ means โgood fortuneโ or โblessingโ, and itโs traditional to hang this character on the wall as part of the New Yearโs decorations. But many people hang the character upside-down.
This is because ็ฆๅไบ fรบ dร o le means โfu is upside-downโ โ this is pronounced identically to ็ฆๅฐไบ fรบ dร o le, meaning โgood fortune has arrivedโ, which constitutes a blessing on the household.
36. ็่ shฤngcร i and ็่ดข shฤngcรกi
As well as fish, itโs also normal to eat some kind of raw vegetables during the New Yearโs feast.
This is because ็่ shฤngcร i (raw vegetables) sounds a lot like ็่ดข shฤngcรกi, meaning โmake moneyโ, for which reason eating raw vegetables during Spring Festival is seen as auspicious.
37. ๆฑคๅ tฤngyuรกn and ๅขๅ tuรกnyuรกn
During the Lantern Festival, the celebration at the end of the Spring Festival period fifteen days after the first day of the lunar new year, it's traditional to eat ๆฑคๅ tฤngyuรกn, a kind of glutinous rice dumpling with a sweet filling.
This food is considered auspicious because the word sounds like ๅขๅ tuรกnyuรกn, meaning โreuniteโ (in the sense of a family reunion), which evokes the joy of the family being back together again for the festival.
38. ๅ ซ bฤ and ๅ fฤ
Unlike 4, in Chinese culture 8 is considered extremely lucky. This is because ๅ ซ bฤ is thought to sound like ๅ fฤ, which can mean โmake moneyโ โ as in ๆญๅๅ่ดข gลngxฤญ fฤcรกi, the most common Spring Festival blessing thatโs used to wish a prosperous New Year.
This is why when people give money to children in ็บขๅ hรณngbฤo (red envelopes) during Spring Festival, 8 RMB, 88 RMB or even 888 RMB are popular sums.
If you're invited to a Chinese wedding, you're similarly expected to give a red envelope to the happy couple as a wedding present. And ensuring the sum consists of 8s will mean you are giving an auspicious amount.
Internet Speak

Here are a couple of interesting internet expressions derived from words that sound similar.
39. 88 bฤ bฤ
In internet speak, 88, pronounced bฤ bฤ, is used instead of ๆๆ bฤibฤi โ which was in turn borrowed from English to mean โbye-byeโ.
40. 3Q
One I particularly like, 3Q is used online instead of ่ฐข่ฐข xiรจxie (thank you) because the pronunciation โ sฤn Q โ sounds like the English โthank youโ.
And one moreโฆ
41. ้ฟๅ chรกngchรฉng
And finally, one more that I just wanted to include for fun more than anything.
In Chinese, the word for the Great Wall of China is ้ฟๅ chรกngchรฉng. It literally translates as โlong wallโ. But what's surprising is how similar the two characters sound โ you really have to work on pronouncing it correctly.
And by the way, the thing about being able to see it from space is a complete myth. Itโs only about as wide as a regular residential road, so thereโs no way youโd be able to pick it out from orbit.
However, depending on the direction youโre coming from, you can easily spot parts of it snaking over the hills as you fly into Beijing, and thatโs always fun!
How To Remember The Correct Tones

With all these Chinese homophones โ and many more besides โ you might be wondering how youโll possibly be able to remember them all.
However, the good news is that youโll probably find that through practice and repetition, most of them will become so fixed in your brain that wonโt ever forget them, just like for native speakers.
You'll quickly grasp the difference between ไนฐ mฤi (buy) and ๅ mร i (sell), because these words are just so common.
The best way to get the practice that will stop you from confusing these homophones is to apply the StoryLearning method and read in Mandarin. As you read and listen to stories in Chinese, confusing homophones will quickly become second nature.
Practising and speaking out loud rather than in your head will play an important role in memorising the correct tones too.
Sometimes, though, for the ones you always seem to forget, it might be useful to try to make up little mnemonics to help you remember.
For example, you might remember that ้ฑผ yรบ is second tone by picturing a fish rising to the surface of a pond to eat a bug. Or that ้ jiลญ is third tone because if you drink too much alcohol, you have to be ready for both the lows and highs.
As with any mnemonic, it doesnโt matter how silly or nonsensical they are as long as they help you remember. Because then if you ever experience a moment of doubt, you can think about whatever story you made up about a character to remind you of the correct tone.
Chinese Homophones FAQ
What is an example of a Chinese homophone?
An example of a pair of โtrueโ Chinese homophones is ๅ zuรฒ (to do) and ๅ zuรฒ (to sit) which are pronounced identically, but have different meanings.
Many Chinese homophones aren't โtrueโ homophones in that sense, but they sound very similar, especially to beginner learners.
For example, ไนฐ mฤi and ๅ mร i, mean โbuyโ and โsellโ respectively and are identical in pronunciation apart from the tone.
ไนฐ mฤi is pronounced with a third tone, one that starts at the middle of your normal vocal range and then drops down before rising again to where you started.
ๅ mร i, on the other hand, starts at the top of your comfortable vocal range and drops, sounding quite different. As you can see, homophones can make understanding and pronouncing Chinese tricky at times.
Does Mandarin have homonyms?
Yes, Mandarin has many homonyms. Words that sound the same but have different meanings are often differentiated by their context and written characters.
For example:
ๅฆ (mฤ) โ mother
้บป (mรก) โ hemp
Homonyms are especially common in Chinese and sometimes lead to puns or symbolic uses in culture and language.
What does 9494 mean in Chinese?
The numbers 9494 are pronounced jiว sรฌ jiว sรฌ, which sounds like ๅฐฑๆฏๅฐฑๆฏ (jiรน shรฌ jiรน shรฌ), meaning โexactlyโ or โthat's rightโ in Chinese internet slang. It's often used in casual online conversations for emphasis or agreement.
Why are Chinese words two characters?
While classical Chinese often used single-character words, modern Mandarin favours two-character words for clarity and specificity. This is because many single syllables (and their characters) have multiple meanings.
Combining two characters reduces ambiguity and creates distinct meanings, such as ๅญฆๆ ก (xuรฉ xiร o) for โschoolโ instead of the single character ๅญฆ (xuรฉ), which can mean โstudyโ or โlearning.โ
Chinese Homophones: Not As Difficult As It Might Seem
Although Chinese tones and the possibility of mixing up Chinese homophones can make the language seem extremely difficult, once you get started, youโll find that things are actually a lot easier than you might think.
In terms of listening, the context will usually tell you which word is being used, even if you miss the tone.
And when youโre speaking, through regular practice, youโll find you naturally master and remember most of the tones without too much trouble.
And if you still need some help with Chinese homophones (or any other aspect of the language), my Chinese Uncovered course will help you master them through the power of story. Click here for your free 7-day trial.
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Olly Richards
Creator of the StoryLearningยฎ Method
Olly Richards is a renowned polyglot and language learning expert with over 15 years of experience teaching millions through his innovative StoryLearningยฎ method. He is the creator of StoryLearning, one of the world's largest language learning blogs with 500,000+ monthly readers.
Olly has authored 30+ language learning books and courses, including the bestselling "Short Stories" series published by Teach Yourself.
When not developing new teaching methods, Richards practices what he preachesโhe speaks 8 languages fluently and continues learning new ones through his own methodology.