The following tables show how to pronounce pinyin initials and finals.
The pronunciation is given using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).
You will need a font containing IPA characters for the display to be correct.
Some versions of Internet Explorer have problems displaying IPA characters, even when an appropriate font is installed (other browsers, such as Mozilla, don’t have this problem).
Many websites explain the sounds of the IPA, but the best explanations are found in the Handbook Of The International Phonetic Association:
Initials
| Pinyin | IPA |
|---|
| b | /p/ |
| c | /tsʰ/ |
| ch | /tʂʰ/ |
| d | /t/ |
| f | /f/ |
| g | /k/ |
| h | /x/ |
| j | /tɕ/ |
| k | /kʰ/ |
| l | /l/ |
| m | /m/ |
| n | /n/ |
| p | /pʰ/ |
| q | /tɕʰ/ |
| r | /ʐ/ |
| s | /s/ |
| sh | /ʂ/ |
| t | /tʰ/ |
| w | /w/ |
| x | /ɕ/ |
| y | /j/ |
| z | /ts/ |
| zh | /tʂ/ |
Finals
| Pinyin | IPA |
|---|
| a | /a/ |
| ai | /ai/ |
| an | /an/ |
| ang | /aŋ/ |
| ao | /au/ |
| e | /ə/ |
| ê | /ɛ/ |
| ei | /ei/ |
| en | /ən/ |
| eng | /əŋ/ |
| er | /ər/ |
| i | /i/ |
| ia | /ia/ |
| ian | /ian/ |
| iang | /iaŋ/ |
| iao | /iau/ |
| ie | /iɛ/ |
| in | /in/ |
| ing | /iŋ/ |
| iong | /uŋ/ |
| iou | /iə/ |
| iu | /iə/ |
| o | /o/ |
| ong | /uŋ/ |
| ou | /əu/ |
| u | /u/ |
| ü | /y/ |
| ua | /ua/ |
| uai | /uai/ |
| uan | /uan/ |
| üan | /yan/ |
| uang | /uaŋ/ |
| üe | /yɛ/ |
| uei | /uei/ |
| uen | /uen/ |
| ueng | /ueŋ/ |
| ui | /uei/ |
| un | /uen/ |
| ün | /yn/ |
| uo | /uə/ |