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 bǎ bǒ - bǐ bǔ - bǎi běi bǎo - bǎn běn bǎng běng - -
p pǎ pǒ - pǐ pǔ - pǎi pěi pǎo pǒu pǎn pěn pǎng pěng - -
m mǎ mǒ mě mǐ mǔ - mǎi měi mǎo mǒu mǎn měn mǎng měng - -
f fǎ fǒ - - fǔ - - fěi - fǒu fǎn fěn fǎng fěng - -
d dǎ - dě dǐ dǔ - dǎi děi dǎo dǒu dǎn děn dǎng děng dǒng -
t tǎ - tě tǐ tǔ - tǎi - tǎo tǒu tǎn - tǎng těng tǒng -
n nǎ - ně nǐ nǔ nǚ nǎi něi nǎo nǒu nǎn něn nǎng něng nǒng -
l lǎ lǒ lě lǐ lǔ lǚ lǎi lěi lǎo lǒu lǎn - lǎng lěng lǒng -
g gǎ - gě - gǔ - gǎi gěi gǎo gǒu gǎn gěn gǎng gěng gǒng -
k kǎ - kě - kǔ - kǎi kěi kǎo kǒu kǎn kěn kǎng kěng kǒng -
h hǎ - hě - hǔ - hǎi hěi hǎo hǒu hǎn hěn hǎng hěng hǒng -
j - - - jǐ - jǔ - - - - - - - - - -
q - - - qǐ - qǔ - - - - - - - - - -
x - - - xǐ - xǔ - - - - - - - - - -
zh zhǎ - zhě zhǐ zhǔ - zhǎi zhěi zhǎo zhǒu zhǎn zhěn zhǎng zhěng zhǒng -
ch chǎ - chě chǐ chǔ - chǎi - chǎo chǒu chǎn chěn chǎng chěng chǒng -
sh shǎ - shě shǐ shǔ - shǎi shěi shǎo shǒu shǎn shěn shǎng shěng - -
r - - rě rǐ rǔ - - - rǎo rǒu rǎn rěn rǎng rěng rǒng -
z zǎ - zě zǐ zǔ - zǎi zěi zǎo zǒu zǎn zěn zǎng zěng zǒng -
c cǎ - cě cǐ cǔ - cǎi - cǎo cǒu cǎn cěn cǎng cěng cǒng -
s sǎ - sě sǐ sǔ - sǎi - sǎo sǒu sǎn sěn sǎng sěng sǒng -
y yǎ yǒ yě yǐ - yǔ - - yǎo yǒu yǎn - yǎng - yǒng -
w wǎ wǒ - - wǔ - wǎi wěi - - wǎn wěn wǎng wěng - -
- ǎ ǒ ě - - - ǎi ěi ǎo ǒu ǎn ěn ǎng ěng - ěr
Initial↓ Final→ ia ie iu ian in iang ing iong ua uo uai ui uan un uang üe üan ün
b - biě - biǎn bǐn - bǐng - - - - - - - - - - -
p - piě - piǎn pǐn - pǐng - - - - - - - - - - -
m - miě miǔ miǎn mǐn - mǐng - - - - - - - - - - -
f - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
d diǎ diě diǔ diǎn - - dǐng - - duǒ - duǐ duǎn dǔn - - - -
t - tiě - tiǎn - - tǐng - - tuǒ - tuǐ tuǎn tǔn - - - -
n - niě niǔ niǎn nǐn niǎng nǐng - - nuǒ - - nuǎn - - nüě - -
l liǎ liě liǔ liǎn lǐn liǎng lǐng - - luǒ - - luǎn lǔn - lüě - -
g - - - - - - - - guǎ guǒ guǎi guǐ guǎn gǔn guǎng - - -
k - - - - - - - - kuǎ kuǒ kuǎi kuǐ kuǎn kǔn kuǎng - - -
h - - - - - - - - huǎ huǒ huǎi huǐ huǎn hǔn huǎng - - -
j jiǎ jiě jiǔ jiǎn jǐn jiǎng jǐng jiǒng - - - - - - - juě juǎn jǔn
q qiǎ qiě qiǔ qiǎn qǐn qiǎng qǐng qiǒng - - - - - - - quě quǎn qǔn
x xiǎ xiě xiǔ xiǎn xǐn xiǎng xǐng xiǒng - - - - - - - xuě xuǎn xǔn
zh - - - - - - - - zhuǎ zhuǒ zhuǎi zhuǐ zhuǎn zhǔn zhuǎng - - -
ch - - - - - - - - chuǎ chuǒ chuǎi chuǐ chuǎn chǔn chuǎng - - -
sh - - - - - - - - shuǎ shuǒ shuǎi shuǐ shuǎn shǔn shuǎng - - -
r - - - - - - - - ruǎ ruǒ - ruǐ ruǎn rǔn - - - -
z - - - - - - - - - zuǒ - zuǐ zuǎn zǔn - - - -
c - - - - - - - - - cuǒ - cuǐ cuǎn cǔn - - - -
s - - - - - - - - - suǒ - suǐ suǎn sǔn - - - -
y - - - - yǐn - yǐng - - - - - - - - yuě yuǎn yǔn
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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