Hanyu Pinyin Chart with Audio
Welcome to the Hanyu Pinyin chart! This interactive chart contains all 410 valid Mandarin Chinese syllables — every initial and final of the romanized Chinese writing system, in one grid.
Click any syllable to hear its pronunciation. Use the tone buttons to see different tone marks. Printable Version
High and level
Rising
Falling then rising
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 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
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"
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
Recognising a syllable on this chart is easier than catching it in speech. Pinyin Listening Dictation plays a word and asks you to type the pinyin back, tone marks included, from HSK 1 up to HSK 6.
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.
Wondering how many syllables that is, why so much of the grid is blank, or which ones are never said in the first tone? How many sounds does Mandarin have? counts the whole inventory out of this same table.
Transcript
- Same letter, three different sounds.
- 你呢 (nǐ ne)
- 石头 (shí tou)
- 桌子 (zhuō zi)
- It comes from how pinyin is built, a start plus an end.
- The starts are called initials.
- The ends are called finals.
- Pick one from each, and where they meet, you get a syllable.
- After most initials, like N, it's the vowel in see.
- 你呢 (nǐ ne)
- 你呢 (nǐ ne)
- But after these four, it buzzes instead.
- 石头 (shí tou)
- 石头 (shí tou)
- And after these three, it hisses.
- 桌子 (zhuō zi)
- 桌子 (zhuō zi)
- Now hear all three, back to back.
- 你呢 (nǐ ne)
- 石头 (shí tou)
- 桌子 (zhuō zi)
- Every syllable is an initial plus a final.
- Tap any syllable to hear it, on the free chart at The Pure Language dot com.
Every syllable is an initial plus a final.