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Finals (vowels)

PINYIN

Similar sound of English

Characteristics / Phonetic features

a

father

the front of the tongue down, lips are   unrounded

i

feet

high, front, lips unrounded                                                                   *the tongue is in the high-font position while the lips remain   unrounded

ei

ray

mid-font, unrounded vowel gliding to a   high-font unrounded vowel (the tongue moves from the mid-front position to a   high-front one)

ai

eye

a low-front, unrounded vowel gliding to a   high-front unrounded one

u

sue

the tongue is in the high-back position   while the lips are rounded       *to   pronounce a pure vowel without making a slight glide as in an English 'u'   vowel

ou

go

the tongue is in the mid-back position   gliding to the high-back position.The lips are rounded slightly

ao

out

the tongue glides from a low-central   position to a high-back position while the lips change from unrounded to   rounded

an

front

this sound is a combination of two sounds.   The 'n' is held lightly in position until the sound has been completely   finished

ang

tongue

the 'ng' is a voiced, velar nasal. Remember   to open your mouth wide to produce a clear 'a'. The 'ng' sound is held   lightly in position until the sound has been completed

ong

own

the pinyin 'o' in this phonetic environment   is pronunced like the mandarin 'u'. The 'ng' is held lightly in position   until the sound has been completed

wu

wood

the lips aren't as tightly rounded as 'u',   and aren't pushed as far forward as in 'u'

yi

each

lips unrounded and the tongue in the   front-high position

uo

world

not to move the lips and tongue until the   'o' sound has been completed

en

pen

this sound is a combination of the Manderin   'e' and 'n'

eng

pen+g

the 'e' is unstressed; also, the position   of the tongue is very important whant making this sound

e

melisa

the tongue is in the mid-back position   while the lips are unrounded. The back of the tongue in this vowel is   slightly further back than in the pronunciation of the Mandarin 'e' in 'en'

yu

u+shoo

tongue is in the high-front position while   the lips are rounded. Once you ae making this vowel sound, round your lips as   in a 'u' vowel. Be careful not to move your jaw or tongue when rounding your   lips.

yun

U+wound

remember   to round your lips in producing these sounds. Pronunce like u+oun in   English

yue

u+a

this glide is a combination of the English   'u' and 'a'

yuan

u+an

don't forget to round your lips when   producing this sound

PINYIN

Similar sound of   English

ie

yeah

iao

yell

iu

yo

ian

Iian

ing

doing

in

in

uo

wall

ui

way

uan

one

un

when

ue

u+a

ia

yacht

iang

yang

iong

yawn

au

all

ua

wa

uang

wrong

uai

why

ui

wait

o

o