The "e" vowel

Level

A1
Related to
1. Tough sounds -e (A2)
In series Pinyin quick start guide
1. 1. Easy sounds
2. 2. The "a" vowel
3. 3. The "e" vowel
4. 4. The "i" vowel
5. 5. The "o" and "u" vowels
6. 6. The "c" and "z" sounds
7. 7. The "ch" "sh" and "zh" sounds
8. 8. The "r" sound
9. 9. The "ü" vowel
10. 10. The "j" "q" and "x" sounds
Referenced syllables
- er
Referenced finals
- -e
- -ei
- -en
- -eng

The "a" vowel is a pretty easy one. Time to take on a vowel that is just slightly trickier. The "e" in Mandarin Chinese is slightly tricky because it can be pronounced in two different ways. You simply have to memorize when it makes one sound and when it makes the other.

	-e	-ei	-en	-eng	-er
∅-	e e [ɯ̯ʌ] ㄜ e	ei ei [eɪ̯] ㄟ ei	en en [ən] ㄣ en	eng eng [əŋ] ㄥ eng	er er [ɑɻ] ㄦ erh
b-		bei bei [peɪ̯] ㄅㄟ pei	ben ben [pən] ㄅㄣ pen	beng beng [pəŋ] ㄅㄥ peng
p-		pei pei [pʰeɪ̯] ㄆㄟ p'ei	pen pen [pʰən] ㄆㄣ p'en	peng peng [pʰəŋ] ㄆㄥ p'eng
m-	me me [mɯ̯ʌ] ㄇㄜ me	mei mei [meɪ̯] ㄇㄟ mei	men men [mən] ㄇㄣ men	meng meng [məŋ] ㄇㄥ meng
f-		fei fei [feɪ̯] ㄈㄟ fei	fen fen [fən] ㄈㄣ fen	feng feng [fəŋ] ㄈㄥ feng
d-	de de [tɯ̯ʌ] ㄉㄜ te	dei dei [teɪ̯] ㄉㄟ tei	den den [tən] ㄉㄣ ten	deng deng [təŋ] ㄉㄥ teng
t-	te te [tʰɯ̯ʌ] ㄊㄜ t'e			teng teng [tʰəŋ] ㄊㄥ t'eng
n-	ne ne [nɯ̯ʌ] ㄋㄜ ne	nei nei [neɪ̯] ㄋㄟ nei	nen nen [nən] ㄋㄣ nen	neng neng [nəŋ] ㄋㄥ neng
l-	le le [lɯ̯ʌ] ㄌㄜ le	lei lei [leɪ̯] ㄌㄟ lei		leng leng [ləŋ] ㄌㄥ leng
s-	se se [sɯ̯ʌ] ㄙㄜ se		sen sen [sən] ㄙㄣ sen	seng seng [səŋ] ㄙㄥ seng
g-	ge ge [kɯ̯ʌ] ㄍㄜ ke	gei gei [keɪ̯] ㄍㄟ kei	gen gen [kən] ㄍㄣ ken	geng geng [kəŋ] ㄍㄥ keng
k-	ke ke [kʰɯ̯ʌ] ㄎㄜ k'e	kei kei [kʰeɪ̯] ㄎㄟ k'ei	ken ken [kʰən] ㄎㄣ k'en	keng keng [kʰəŋ] ㄎㄥ k'eng
h-	he he [xɯ̯ʌ] ㄏㄜ he	hei hei [xeɪ̯] ㄏㄟ hei	hen hen [xən] ㄏㄣ hen	heng heng [xəŋ] ㄏㄥ heng