<p><a href="https://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/search.jsp?md=1&amp;word=%E8%8C%B8#searchL" rel="nofollow noreferrer">國語辭典</a> :</p>
<ul>
<li><p>1 茸    <strong>ㄖㄨㄥˊ (róng)</strong> - 鹿<strong>茸</strong>; 毛<strong>茸茸</strong></p>
</li>
<li><p>2 茸    <strong>ㄖㄨㄥˇ (rǒng)</strong> - 丰<strong>茸</strong>; 蓊<strong>茸</strong></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>毛茸茸 / máo rōng rōng / - I think certain people/region pronounces this way on admirable furry lovely things, &quot;
這大衣毛茸茸的,看來好暖好舒適啊!&quot;; &quot;這小鴨子毛茸茸的,好可愛啊!&quot;</p>
<p><a href="https://www.zdic.net/hans/%E8%93%8A%E8%8C%B8" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.zdic.net/hans/%E8%93%8A%E8%8C%B8</a> (汉典)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-08T14:46:29.903Z
2024-12-08T18:54:33.860Z
2024-12-08T18:54:33.860Z
r13
<p><a href="https://www.mmchineseclub.co.uk/post/abb-tone" rel="nofollow noreferrer">This article</a> explains the underlying tone sandhi pattern that creates two versions of tones in ABB words, including 毛茸茸.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>但是在ABB的词语中，黄澄澄 huáng dēng dēng，红彤彤 hóng tōng tōng，绿油油 lǜ yōu yōu 会产生音变。一般变作一声…</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>但是ABB的音变，是在北京语音基础上的普通话音变习惯，并不是铁律。关于ABB叠词的音变规律，语言界争议颇多。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>This tone sandhi does not strictly apply to every ABB word. For instance, in 毛茸茸, the character 茸 is most commonly pronounced róng, without a tone change.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-09T06:52:45.793Z
2024-12-09T06:52:45.793Z
kyc
<p>My suggestion is <strong>máo róng róng</strong>.</p>
<p>See how news announcers say about ABB pronunciation, 康辉 mentioned in a live show in 2020. At least 白茫茫 is now officially treated as <strong>bái máng máng</strong> instead of bái māng māng. <a href="https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1yV411f7XP/?share_source=copy_web&amp;vd_source=374353de7a58f8f9cc7077cfc744dee2&amp;t=16" rel="nofollow noreferrer">video material</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-10T01:25:14.140Z
2024-12-10T01:25:14.140Z
zrsammy
<p>It can only be pronounced rōng in 毛茸茸.</p>
<p>The standard pronunciation is máoróngróng- máorōngrōng is a colloquial variant.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-12T04:23:04.443Z
Actually, its original pronunciation is ​róng and rǒng, but rōng could be accepted in some region, and some couldn't. For Taiwan, we don't pronounce it as rōng but ​róng.
知識日常 Know Scratcher
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-09T03:22:15.933Z
2024-12-09T03:22:15.933Z
Tree
<p>No, but máo róng rōng would be the practical one.
You know, in practice, tones will change in oral speech.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-09T16:33:06.403Z
2024-12-10T09:17:13.137Z
2024-12-10T09:17:13.137Z
sfy
<p>There's a not-very-well-known sandhi-like phenomenon (&quot;Tone 2 becomes higher and changes its direction, approaching the tone 1 pitch contour, when put between tone 1 or 2 and any other full tone&quot;). This phenomenon occurs in conversational speech. It is described in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_Chinese_phonology#Second_and_fourth_tone_change" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Wikipedia article on Chinese Phonology</a>. Mao2rong2rong2 fits the criteria for this phenomenon.</p>
<p>I believe this could well explain why some references give tone 1 in the middle of this term. Of course this doesn't explain the tone 1 given at the end of the term.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-12-09T09:32:27.070Z
2024-12-09T09:48:14.047Z
2024-12-09T09:48:14.047Z
goPlayerJuggler
<p><a href="https://youdao.com/result?word=%E6%AF%9B%E8%8C%B8%E8%8C%B8&amp;lang=en" rel="nofollow noreferrer">YouDao</a> gives this:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>毛茸茸 / máo rōng rōng /</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?wdqb=%E6%AF%9B%E8%8C%B8%E8%8C%B8" rel="nofollow noreferrer">CC-CEDICT</a> gives this:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>毛茸茸 máo​róng​róng​</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://chinese.yabla.com/chinese-english-pinyin-dictionary.php?define=mao+rong+rong" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Yabla</a> lists both pronunciations, while my 《现代汉语词典》 only contains 毛茸茸 máo​róng​róng and 茸​ róng (in fact, it lists nothing pronounced rōng).</p>
<p>These are inconsistent, so...</p>
<p><strong>Question</strong>: Can 茸 in 毛茸茸 (máo​róng​róng) be pronounced rōng?</p>
<p>Maybe these other resources are mistaken, or maybe there's some dialect thing going on here.</p>

<pronunciation>
Can 茸 in 毛茸茸 (máo​róng​róng) be pronounced rōng?
# Can 茸 in 毛茸茸 (máo​róng​róng) be pronounced rōng?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-12-08)

[YouDao](https://youdao.com/result?word=%E6%AF%9B%E8%8C%B8%E8%8C%B8&lang=en) gives this:

> 毛茸茸 / máo rōng rōng /

[CC-CEDICT](https://www.mdbg.net/chinese/dictionary?wdqb=%E6%AF%9B%E8%8C%B8%E8%8C%B8) gives this:

> 毛茸茸 máo​róng​róng​

[Yabla](https://chinese.yabla.com/chinese-english-pinyin-dictionary.php?define=mao+rong+rong) lists both pronunciations, while my 《现代汉语词典》 only contains 毛茸茸 máo​róng​róng and 茸​ róng (in fact, it lists nothing pronounced rōng).

These are inconsistent, so...

**Question**: Can 茸 in 毛茸茸 (máo​róng​róng) be pronounced rōng?

Maybe these other resources are mistaken, or maybe there's some dialect thing going on here.

**Tags:** pronunciation

---

## 6 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2024-12-08. Score: 4

[國語辭典](https://dict.revised.moe.edu.tw/search.jsp?md=1&word=%E8%8C%B8#searchL) :

* 1 茸 **ㄖㄨㄥˊ (róng)** - 鹿**茸**; 毛**茸茸**
* 2 茸 **ㄖㄨㄥˇ (rǒng)** - 丰**茸**; 蓊**茸**

毛茸茸 / máo rōng rōng / - I think certain people/region pronounces this way on admirable furry lovely things, "
這大衣毛茸茸的,看來好暖好舒適啊!"; "這小鴨子毛茸茸的,好可愛啊!"

<https://www.zdic.net/hans/%E8%93%8A%E8%8C%B8> (汉典)


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2024-12-09. Score: 2

[This article](https://www.mmchineseclub.co.uk/post/abb-tone) explains the underlying tone sandhi pattern that creates two versions of tones in ABB words, including 毛茸茸.

> 但是在ABB的词语中，黄澄澄 huáng dēng dēng，红彤彤 hóng tōng tōng，绿油油 lǜ yōu yōu 会产生音变。一般变作一声…

> 但是ABB的音变，是在北京语音基础上的普通话音变习惯，并不是铁律。关于ABB叠词的音变规律，语言界争议颇多。

This tone sandhi does not strictly apply to every ABB word. For instance, in 毛茸茸, the character 茸 is most commonly pronounced róng, without a tone change.


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2024-12-10. Score: 1

My suggestion is **máo róng róng**.

See how news announcers say about ABB pronunciation, 康辉 mentioned in a live show in 2020. At least 白茫茫 is now officially treated as **bái máng máng** instead of bái māng māng. [video material](https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1yV411f7XP/?share_source=copy_web&vd_source=374353de7a58f8f9cc7077cfc744dee2&t=16)


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2024-12-09. Score: 0

It can only be pronounced rōng in 毛茸茸.

The standard pronunciation is máoróngróng- máorōngrōng is a colloquial variant.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: Actually, its original pronunciation is ​róng and rǒng, but rōng could be accepted in some region, and some couldn't. For Taiwan, we don't pronounce it as rōng but ​róng.  

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### Answer by username_6 on 2024-12-09. Score: 0

No, but máo róng rōng would be the practical one.
You know, in practice, tones will change in oral speech.


---

### Answer by username_7 on 2024-12-09. Score: 0

There's a not-very-well-known sandhi-like phenomenon ("Tone 2 becomes higher and changes its direction, approaching the tone 1 pitch contour, when put between tone 1 or 2 and any other full tone"). This phenomenon occurs in conversational speech. It is described in the [Wikipedia article on Chinese Phonology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_Chinese_phonology#Second_and_fourth_tone_change). Mao2rong2rong2 fits the criteria for this phenomenon.

I believe this could well explain why some references give tone 1 in the middle of this term. Of course this doesn't explain the tone 1 given at the end of the term.


---

