Consonants
|
---|
IPA |
Pinyin |
English approximation
|
---|
ɕ
|
x
|
she
| f
|
f
|
fan
| j
|
y-, -i-
|
you
| k
|
g
|
skim
| kʰ
|
k
|
cup
| l
|
l
|
leaf
| m
|
m
|
moon
| n
|
n-, -n
|
noon
| ŋ
|
-ng
|
song
| p
|
b
|
span
| pʰ
|
p
|
pan
| ɻ
|
-r
|
area (ends syllable)
| s
|
s
|
see
| ʂ
|
sh
|
show; Russian Ш Polish SZ
| t
|
d
|
stand
| tʰ
|
t
|
tan
| tɕ
|
j
|
itchy
| tɕʰ
|
q
|
cheer
| ts
|
z
|
pizza
| tsʰ
|
c
|
tsunami (with t pronounced)
| tʂ
|
zh
|
pitcher
| tʂʰ
|
ch
|
church
| w
|
w-, -u-
|
water
| x
|
h
|
loch (Scottish English)
| ɥ
|
yu-, -ü-[lower-alpha 1] |
(simultaneous y and w); French nuit
| ʐ
|
r-
|
pleasure; Russian Ж Polish Ż, RZ
|
|
Vowels
|
---|
IPA |
Pinyin |
English approximation
|
---|
a
|
a (a, an)
|
roughly like cat
| ɑ
|
a (ang), e (er)
|
car
| ɛ
|
e (ye), a (yan, yuan, ian)
|
yes
| œ
|
e (yue)
|
roughly like bird; German ö
| ə
|
e (en[lower-alpha 2])
|
about
| ɤ
|
e (eng)
|
roughly like Am.eng. sir
| i
|
yi/-i (yi, yin, ying)
|
see
| ɨ
|
i (si, zi, ci, shi, zhi, chi, ri)
|
glasses[lower-alpha 3] | ɔ
|
o (wo, bo, po, mo, fo)
|
war
| u
|
wu/-u
|
shoe
| ʊ
|
o (ong)
|
hook
| y
|
yu/-ü[lower-alpha 1] (yu, yun)
|
somewhat like few; French tu
| Diphthongs
|
---|
aɪ
|
ai
|
bye
| ɑʊ
|
ao
|
now
| eɪ
|
ei[lower-alpha 2] |
day
| oʊ
|
ou[lower-alpha 2] |
no
| Nasal vowels[lower-alpha 4] |
---|
ɑ̃
|
ang (angr)
|
roughly like croissant
| ə̃
|
eng (engr)
|
roughly like uh-huh
| ʊ̃
|
ong (ongr)
|
roughly like own
|
IPA
|
Pinyin
|
Description
|
---|
Tones
|
---|
ǎ ɤ̌
|
á, é
|
mid rising: ˧˥
| â ɤ̂
|
à, è
|
high falling: ˥˩
| á ɤ́
|
ā, ē
|
high: ˥
| à, ɤ̀
|
ǎ, ě
|
medially, low: ˩ initially, mid falling: ˧˩ finally, low rising: ˩˧ in isolation, dipping: ˧˩˧
| a, ɤ
|
a, e
|
"toneless": low after the high falling tone ˥˩ and the high tone ˥ ; mid after all other tones
|
|