CHART TO PRONUNCIATION OF THE CHINESE LANGUAGE COURTESY OF SALVADOR’S COFFEE HOUSE – Kunming, P.R. CHINA – www.salvadors.cn
Pinyin (the romanized version of Mandarin Chinese) pronunciation is composed of a finite amount of syllables with 23 initials (first column) and 32 finals (first row) – with the few exceptions listed below. This
chart includes every syllable in the Chinese language. Combinations of beginnings and endings should be pronounced as one syllable. (This chart does not include the five tones for each syllable- , , , , and none)
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a |
ai |
an |
ang |
ao |
e |
ei |
en |
eng |
er |
i |
ia |
ian |
iang |
iao |
ie |
in |
ing |
iong |
iu |
o |
ong |
ou |
u |
ua |
uai |
uan |
uang |
ue |
ui |
un |
uo |
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B |
Ba |
Bai |
Ban |
Bang |
Bao |
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Bei |
Ben |
Beng |
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Bi |
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Bian |
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Biao |
Bie |
Bin |
Bing |
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Bo |
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Bu |
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C |
Ca |
Cai |
Can |
Cang |
Cao |
Ce |
Cei |
Cen |
Ceng |
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Ci |
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Cong |
Cou |
Cu |
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Cuan |
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Cui |
Cun |
Cuo |
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Ch |
Cha |
Chai |
Chan |
Chang |
Chao |
Che |
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Chen |
Cheng |
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Chi |
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Chin |
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Chong |
Chou |
Chu |
Chua |
Chuai |
Chuan |
Chuang |
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Chui |
Chun |
Chuo |
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Q |
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Qi |
Qia |
Qian |
Qiang |
Qiao |
Qie |
Qin |
Qing |
Qiong |
Qiu |
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Qu |
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Quan |
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Que |
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Qun |
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D |
Da |
Dai |
Dan |
Dang |
Dao |
De |
Dei |
Den |
Deng |
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Di |
Dia |
Dian |
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Diao |
Die |
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Ding |
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Dong |
Dou |
Du |
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Duan |
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Dui |
Dun |
Duo |
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F |
Fa |
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Fan |
Fang |
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Fei |
Fen |
Feng |
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Fo |
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Fou |
Fu |
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G |
Ga |
Gai |
Gan |
Gang |
Gao |
Ge |
Gei |
Gen |
Geng |
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Gong |
Gou |
Gu |
Gua |
Guai |
Guan |
Guang |
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Gui |
Gun |
Guo |
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H |
Ha |
Hai |
Han |
Hang |
Hao |
He |
Hei |
Hen |
Heng |
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Hong |
Hou |
Hu |
Hua |
Huai |
Huan |
Huang |
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Hui |
Hun |
Huo |
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J |
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Ji |
Jia |
Jian |
Jiang |
Jiao |
Jie |
Jin |
Jing |
Jiong |
Jiu |
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Ju |
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Juan |
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Jue |
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Jun |
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Zh |
Zha |
Zhai |
Zhan |
Zhang |
Zhao |
Zhe |
Zhei |
Zhen |
Zheng |
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Zhi |
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Zhong |
Zhou |
zhu |
Zhua |
Zhuai |
Zhuan |
Zhuang |
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Zhui |
Zhun |
Zhuo |
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K |
Ka |
Kai |
Kan |
Kang |
Kao |
Ke |
Kei |
Ken |
Keng |
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Ki |
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King |
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Kong |
Kou |
Ku |
Kua |
Kuai |
Kuan |
Kuang |
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Kui |
Kun |
Kuo |
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L |
La |
Lai |
Lan |
Lang |
Lao |
Le |
Lei |
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Leng |
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Li |
Lia |
Lian |
Liang |
Liao |
Lie |
Lin |
Ling |
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Liu |
Lo |
Long |
Lou |
Lu/Lu |
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Luan |
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Lue |
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Lun |
Luo |
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M |
Ma |
Mai |
Man |
Mang |
Mao |
Me |
Mei |
Men |
Meng |
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Mi |
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Mian |
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Miao |
Mie |
Min |
Ming |
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Miu |
Mo |
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Mou |
Mu |
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N |
Na |
Nai |
Nan |
Nang |
Nao |
Ne |
Nei |
Nen |
Neng |
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Ni |
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Nian |
Niang |
Niao |
Nie |
Nin |
Ning |
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Niu |
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Nong |
Nou |
Nu/Nu |
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Nuan |
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Nue |
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Nuo |
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P |
Pa |
Pai |
Pan |
Pang |
Pao |
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Pei |
Pen |
Peng |
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Pi |
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Pian |
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Piao |
Pie |
Pin |
Ping |
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Po |
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Pou |
Pu |
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R |
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Ran |
Rang |
Rao |
Re |
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Ren |
Reng |
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Ri |
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Rong |
Rou |
Ru |
Rua |
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Ruan |
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Rui |
Run |
Puo |
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S |
Sa |
Sai |
San |
Sang |
Sao |
Se |
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Sen |
Seng |
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Si |
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Song |
Sou |
Su |
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Suan |
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Sui |
Sun |
Suo |
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Sh |
Sha |
Shai |
Shan |
Shang |
Shao |
She |
Shei |
Shen |
Sheng |
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Shi |
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Shou |
Shu |
Shua |
Shuai |
Shuan |
Shuang |
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Shui |
Shun |
Shuo |
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X |
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Xi |
Xia |
Xian |
Xiang |
Xiao |
Xie |
Xin |
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Xiong |
Xiu |
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Xu |
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Xuan |
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Xue |
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Xun |
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T |
Ta |
Tai |
Tan |
Tang |
Tao |
Te |
Tei |
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Teng |
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Ti |
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Tian |
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Tiao |
Tie |
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Ting |
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Tong |
Tou |
Tu |
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Tuan |
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Tui |
Tun |
Tuo |
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W |
Wa |
Wai |
Wan |
Wang |
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Wei |
Wen |
Weng |
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Wo |
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Wu |
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Y |
Ya |
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Yan |
Yang |
Yao |
Ye |
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Yi |
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Yin |
Ying |
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Yo |
Yong |
You |
Yu |
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Yuan |
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Yue |
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Yun |
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Z |
Za |
Zai |
Zan |
Zang |
Zao |
Ze |
Zei |
Zen |
Zeng |
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Zi |
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Zong |
Zou |
Zu |
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Zuan |
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Zui |
Zun |
Zuo |
INITIALS |
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FINALS |
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EXCEPTIONS |
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B: boy |
K: car |
W: wish |
a: dawn |
i: key |
o: boat |
un: toon |
Ye: yes |
Nu: nap + ǚ |
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C: eats |
L: lake |
Y: you |
ai: buy |
ia: Austria |
ong: boat + long |
uo: quote |
Ci: eats + lisp |
Xu: sheep + ǚ |
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Ch: chalk |
M: moon |
Z: birds |
an: on |
ian: alien |
ou: toe |
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Chi: truck |
Yu: you + ǚ |
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Q: chin |
N: nap |
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ang: song |
iang: key + song |
u: too |
Notes: |
Zhi: journey |
Quan: chin + ǚ + pen |
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D: dog |
P: paper |
Notes: |
ao: plow |
iao: key + plow |
ua: quality |
ǚ: pronounced like |
Ri: burr |
Juan: juice + ǚ + pen |
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F: fan |
R: merge |
Ch, Zh, and Sh: |
e: bus |
ie: fiesta |
uai: Hawaii |
the French ‘u’ with |
Shi: shirt |
Ruan: guru + on |
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G: gone |
S: sand |
Pronounced with lips relaxed |
ei: play |
in: bean |
uan: too + on |
tightly puckered lips |
Zi: birds + lisp |
Xuan: sheep + ǚ + pen |
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H: hum |
Sh: shark |
and |
en: sun |
ing: sing |
uang: too + song |
* Remember that all sound |
Qu: chin + ǚ |
Qun: chin + ǚ + bun |
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J: juice |
X: sheep |
Q, J, and X: |
eng: rung |
iong: key + boat + long |
ue: ǖ + play |
combinations should be |
Ju: juice + ǚ |
Jun: juice + ǚ + bun |
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Zh: jog |
T: top |
Pronounced with lips puckered |
er: are |
iu: key + boat |
ui: way |
pronounced as one syllable |
Lu: lake + ǚ |
Xun: sheep + ǚ + bun |
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Written By Colin Flahive |
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