| IPA |
Pinyin |
English approximation
|
| Consonants
|
| b
|
b
|
rubber[1]
|
| ɕ
|
x
|
she
|
| d
|
d
|
rudder[1]
|
| dz
|
z
|
adds[1]
|
| dʑ
|
j
|
edgy[1]
|
| dʐ
|
zh
|
edger[1]
|
| f
|
f
|
fan
|
| ɡ
|
g
|
rugged[1]
|
| j
|
y-, -i-
|
you
|
| k
|
g
|
scan
|
| kʰ
|
k
|
can
|
| l
|
l
|
leaf
|
| m
|
m
|
moon
|
| n
|
n-, -n
|
noon
|
| ŋ
|
-ng
|
song
|
| p
|
b
|
span
|
| pʰ
|
p
|
pan
|
| ɻ
|
-r
|
aria (ends syllable)
|
| s
|
s
|
see
|
| ʂ
|
sh[2]
|
sure
|
| t
|
d
|
stand
|
| tʰ
|
t
|
tan
|
| tɕ
|
j
|
itchy
|
| tɕʰ
|
q
|
cheer
|
| ts
|
z
|
cats
|
| tsʰ
|
c
|
tsunami
|
| tʂ
|
zh[2]
|
pitcher
|
| tʂʰ
|
ch[2]
|
church
|
| w
|
w-, -u-
|
water
|
| x
|
h
|
house or loch
|
| ɥ
|
yu-, -ü-
|
(simultaneous y and w)
|
| ʐ
|
r-[2]
|
Zsa Zsa (starts syllable)
|
|
| IPA
|
Pinyin |
English approximation
|
| Vowels
|
| a
|
a (a, an)
|
father
|
| ai
|
ai
|
time
|
| ɑ
|
a (ang, ar)
|
car
|
| ɑ̃
|
ang (angr)
|
vin blanc
|
| ɑʊ
|
ao
|
how
|
| ei
|
ei
|
hey
|
| ɛ
|
e (ye), a (yan, yuan)
|
yes
|
| œ
|
e (yue)
|
German ö
|
| ə
|
e (en, eng)
|
hung
|
| ə̃
|
eng (engr)
|
nasal uhn...
|
| ɤ
|
e
|
hood
|
| i
|
i
|
see
|
| ɨ
|
i (si, zi, ci, shi, zhi, chi, ri) (buzzing)[3]
|
| o
|
o (bo, po, mo, fo)
|
Spanish, French o
|
| ou
|
ou
|
hoe
|
| ɔ
|
o (wo)
|
war
|
| u
|
u, wu
|
woo
|
| ʊ
|
o (ong, iong)
|
Nibelung
|
| ʊ̃
|
ong (ongr, iongr)
|
nasal oo
|
| y
|
u (after j, q, x), ü, yu
|
German ü, French u
|
| 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 a falling tone [â];
mid after all other tones
|
|
