The pronunciation of Chengdu varies between English and Mandarin Chinese. In English, it is typically pronounced as CHUNG-DOO, where the first syllable rhymes with "sung" and the second rhymes with "blue," often with the emphasis placed on the second syllable. In Standard Mandarin, the name is Chéngdū; the first syllable "Chéng" uses a rising tone similar to asking a question and features a soft "ch" sound followed by "uhng," while the second syllable "dū" is spoken with a high, level tone and a long "oo" sound. Because Mandarin is a tonal language, using the correct rising and level pitches is essential for native accuracy.