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
|
|