Pinyin Pronunciation Chart

Welcome to the Pinyin Chart! This interactive chart contains all 410 valid Mandarin Chinese syllables.

Click any syllable to hear its pronunciation. Use the tone buttons to see different tone marks. Printable Version

Select Tone: All 1ˉ First Tone 2ˊ Second Tone 3ˇ Third Tone 4ˋ Fourth Tone
1 First Tone
High and level
2 Second Tone
Rising
3 Third Tone
Falling then rising
4 Fourth Tone
Sharp falling
Initial↓ Final→ a o e i u ü ai ei ao ou an en ang eng ong er
b bā bō - bī bū - bāi bēi bāo - bān bēn bāng bēng - -
p pā pō - pī pū - pāi pēi pāo pōu pān pēn pāng pēng - -
m mā mō mē mī mū - māi mēi māo mōu mān mēn māng mēng - -
f fā fō - - fū - - fēi - fōu fān fēn fāng fēng - -
d dā - dē dī dū - dāi dēi dāo dōu dān dēn dāng dēng dōng -
t tā - tē tī tū - tāi - tāo tōu tān - tāng tēng tōng -
n nā - nē nī nū nǖ nāi nēi nāo nōu nān nēn nāng nēng nōng -
l lā lō lē lī lū lǖ lāi lēi lāo lōu lān - lāng lēng lōng -
g gā - gē - gū - gāi gēi gāo gōu gān gēn gāng gēng gōng -
k kā - kē - kū - kāi kēi kāo kōu kān kēn kāng kēng kōng -
h hā - hē - hū - hāi hēi hāo hōu hān hēn hāng hēng hōng -
j - - - jī - jū - - - - - - - - - -
q - - - qī - qū - - - - - - - - - -
x - - - xī - xū - - - - - - - - - -
zh zhā - zhē zhī zhū - zhāi zhēi zhāo zhōu zhān zhēn zhāng zhēng zhōng -
ch chā - chē chī chū - chāi - chāo chōu chān chēn chāng chēng chōng -
sh shā - shē shī shū - shāi shēi shāo shōu shān shēn shāng shēng - -
r - - rē rī rū - - - rāo rōu rān rēn rāng rēng rōng -
z zā - zē zī zū - zāi zēi zāo zōu zān zēn zāng zēng zōng -
c cā - cē cī cū - cāi - cāo cōu cān cēn cāng cēng cōng -
s sā - sē sī sū - sāi - sāo sōu sān sēn sāng sēng sōng -
y yā yō yē yī - yū - - yāo yōu yān - yāng - yōng -
w wā wō - - wū - wāi wēi - - wān wēn wāng wēng - -
- ā ō ē - - - āi ēi āo ōu ān ēn āng ēng - ēr
Initial↓ Final→ ia ie iu ian in iang ing iong ua uo uai ui uan un uang üe üan ün
b - biē - biān bīn - bīng - - - - - - - - - - -
p - piē - piān pīn - pīng - - - - - - - - - - -
m - miē miū miān mīn - mīng - - - - - - - - - - -
f - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
d diā diē diū diān - - dīng - - duō - duī duān dūn - - - -
t - tiē - tiān - - tīng - - tuō - tuī tuān tūn - - - -
n - niē niū niān nīn niāng nīng - - nuō - - nuān - - nüē - -
l liā liē liū liān līn liāng līng - - luō - - luān lūn - lüē - -
g - - - - - - - - guā guō guāi guī guān gūn guāng - - -
k - - - - - - - - kuā kuō kuāi kuī kuān kūn kuāng - - -
h - - - - - - - - huā huō huāi huī huān hūn huāng - - -
j jiā jiē jiū jiān jīn jiāng jīng jiōng - - - - - - - juē juān jūn
q qiā qiē qiū qiān qīn qiāng qīng qiōng - - - - - - - quē quān qūn
x xiā xiē xiū xiān xīn xiāng xīng xiōng - - - - - - - xuē xuān xūn
zh - - - - - - - - zhuā zhuō zhuāi zhuī zhuān zhūn zhuāng - - -
ch - - - - - - - - chuā chuō chuāi chuī chuān chūn chuāng - - -
sh - - - - - - - - shuā shuō shuāi shuī shuān shūn shuāng - - -
r - - - - - - - - ruā ruō - ruī ruān rūn - - - -
z - - - - - - - - - zuō - zuī zuān zūn - - - -
c - - - - - - - - - cuō - cuī cuān cūn - - - -
s - - - - - - - - - suō - suī suān sūn - - - -
y - - - - yīn - yīng - - - - - - - - yuē yuān yūn
w - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Pronunciation Tips
Difficult Initials
  • zh, ch, sh, r - Retroflex sounds (tongue curled back)
  • j, q, x - Palatal sounds (tongue flat, softer)
  • z, c, s - Dental sounds (tongue behind teeth)
Difficult Finals
  • ü - Round lips, say "ee" (like German "ü")
  • -i after zh/ch/sh/r - Buzzing sound, not "ee"
  • -i after z/c/s - Hissing sound, not "ee"
Pinyin Quick Reference
The 4 Tones
  • 1st (ˉ): High and flat
  • 2nd (ˊ): Rising (like a question)
  • 3rd (ˇ): Dipping low
  • 4th (ˋ): Sharp falling
21 Initials

b p m f, d t n l, g k h, j q x, zh ch sh r, z c s, y w

~35 Finals

a o e i u ü, ai ei ao ou, an en ang eng ong, ia ie iu ian in iang ing iong, ua uo uai ui uan un uang, üe üan ün

Neutral Tone (Light Tone)

The neutral tone (also called "light tone" or 5th tone) is unstressed and has no tone mark. It typically appears in the second syllable of certain words. Its pitch depends on the preceding tone. Click any example to hear how neutral tone sounds in context.

Common Particles
Common Suffixes
Example Words
Word Pinyin Meaning Audio
妈妈 māma mother
爸爸 bàba father
我的 wǒ de my/mine
走了 zǒu le left/gone
你呢 nǐ ne and you?
桌子 zhuōzi table
我们 wǒmen we/us
石头 shítou stone

Tip: The neutral tone syllable is shown in blue. Notice how it's always unstressed and shorter than the preceding syllable.

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