读

读 (dú) means 'to read' — both reading text silently and reading aloud — and by extension 'to study (at a school).' Use 读书 (dú shū) to say 'read a book,' but be aware that 读书 also commonly means 'to be a student / be in school,' so 他在北京读书 can mean 'he's studying in Beijing,' not literally 'he reads books in Beijing.' Two contrasts matter: 读 vs 看书 — 读 leans toward reading-as-an-activity, often aloud or studious; 看书 (kàn shū, 'look at a book') is the more casual everyday 'I'm reading.'

读 vs 念 (niàn) — 念 is more strongly 'recite/read aloud,' while 读 covers both silent and aloud. Teachers often instruct 跟我读 ('repeat after me, read aloud').