|
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 |
咖啡誌 (4)