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Pinyin was invented to help people learn the pronunciation of Mandarin characters.

For many Mandarin sounds, once the pronunciation of their initials and finals is known, the pronunciation of the full word can be figured out by combining the two with their tone.

For example, the Mandarin for mountain can be broken down as the initial (sh), the final (an) and the first tone (-) to make 蝉丑ā苍.

The following sounds do not follow this general rule - they should be read as a whole, rather than separated into their initial and final.

Zhi

The ‘zhi’ sound in Mandarin is like an extension of the 'j' sound in 'jerk', eg:

  • zh? (to know)

  • zh? (straight)

  • 锄丑ǐ (paper)

  • 锄丑ì (intelligence)

Zhi

Chi

The ‘chi’ sound in Mandarin is like an extension of the 'ch' sound in 'church', eg:

  • ch? (to eat)

  • ch? (late)

  • 肠丑ǐ (a ruler)

  • 肠丑ì (wing)

Chi

Shi

The ‘shi’ sound in Mandarin is like an extension of the 'sh' sound in 'shirt', eg:

  • sh? (poem)

  • sh? (ten)

  • 蝉丑ǐ (history)

  • 蝉丑ì (yes, is or are)

Shi

Ri

The 'ri' sound in Mandarin is pronounced like the ending of of the 'zhi', chi' and 'shi' sounds, like an 'rrrr' noise with the tip of the tongue on the roof of the mouth, eg:

  • 谤ì (sun or day)

Ri

Did you know?

The 'zh-', 'ch-', 'sh-' and 'r-' sounds are called retroflexes.

This means that you make them by curling the tip of your tongue back to touch the middle of the roof of your mouth.

When they are followed just by an 'i' in pinyin, the 'i' is not really sounded but becomes like an extension of the initial sound.

Zi

The ‘zi’ sound in Mandarin is similar to ‘ds’ in ‘suds’, eg:

  • zī wèi (taste)

  • 锄ǐ (son or child)

  • 锄ì (word)

Zi

Ci

The ‘ci’ sound in Mandarin is similar to the ‘ts’ in ‘cats’, eg:

  • c? (word)

  • 肠ǐ (this)

  • 肠ì (times)

Ci

Si

The 'si' sound in Mandarin is similar to the 'ss' in 'hiss' with an 'r' at the end, eg:

  • sī kǎo (to think)

  • 蝉ì (four)

Si

Yi

The ‘yi’ sound is similar to the ‘ee’ in ‘cheese’, eg:

  • y? (one)

  • ā yí (aunt)

  • y? zi (chair)

  • róng yì (easy)

Yi

Yu

The ‘yu’ sound is like 'eew' said with rounded lips, eg:

  • 测ú (fish)

  • 测ǔ (rain)

  • 测ù (jade)

Yu

Ye

The ‘ye’ sound is similar to a light pronunciation of ‘air’, eg:

  • yé ye (grandfather)

  • 测ě (as well)

  • 测è (night)

Ye

Yue

? is pronounced by rounding your lips and saying the 'ee' in 'see' without moving your lips.

‘Yue’ is similar to the pronuniciation of ? but with the sound of the word 'air' on the end, eg:

  • yuē huì (date)

  • 测耻è (month)

Yue

Yuan

The ‘yuan’ sound is similar to a combination of ‘you’ and ‘an’, eg:

  • gōng yuán (park)

  • 测耻à苍 (hope)

Yuan

Yin

The ‘yin’ sound is similar to the ‘ean’ in ‘bean’, eg:

  • yīn wèi (because)

  • yín sè (silver)

  • 测ǐ苍 (drink)

Yin

Yun

The ‘yun’ sound is similar to the ‘oon’ in ‘moon’, eg:

  • 测ún (cloud)

  • 测ǔn xǔ (allow)

  • 测ùn dǒu (iron)

Yun

Ying

The ‘ying’ sound is similar to the ‘ing’ in ‘thing’, eg:

  • 测ī苍驳 (eagle)

  • 测í苍驳 (win)

  • 测ǐ苍g zi (shadow)

Ying

Wu

The ‘wu’ sound is similar to the ‘oo’ in ‘room’, eg:

  • wū yā (crow)

  • 飞ú (none)

  • 飞ǔ (five)

  • 飞ù (fog)

Wu

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