Easy sounds

Level

A1
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 Initials
- b-
- d-
- f-
- g-
- h-
- k-
- l-
- m-
- n-
- p-
- s-
- t-

Although you cannot take for granted that the letters that make up pinyin sound like they do in English, the good news is that many of them do. So before learning about which pinyin letters make crazy new sounds in Mandarin Chinese, it's a good idea to learn the letters that make more familiar sounds. These are the "easy sounds."

	-a	-ai	-ao	-an	-ang	-e	-ei	-en	-eng	-o	-ou	-ong	-i	-i*	-ia	-iao	-ie	-iou	-ian	-iang	-in	-ing	-u	-ua	-uai	-uei	-uo	-uan	-uang	-uen	-ü	-üe
b-	ba ba [pɑ] ㄅㄚ pa	bai bai [paɪ̯] ㄅㄞ pai	bao bao [pɑʊ̯] ㄅㄠ pao	ban ban [pan] ㄅㄢ pan	bang bang [pɑŋ] ㄅㄤ pang		bei bei [peɪ̯] ㄅㄟ pei	ben ben [pən] ㄅㄣ pen	beng beng [pəŋ] ㄅㄥ peng	bo bo [pu̯ɔ] ㄅㄛ po			bi bi [pi] ㄅㄧ pi			biao biao [pi̯ɑʊ̯] ㄅㄧㄠ piao	bie bie [piɛ] ㄅㄧㄝ pieh		bian bian [piɛn] ㄅㄧㄢ pien		bin bin [pin] ㄅㄧㄣ pin	bing bing [piŋ] ㄅㄧㄥ ping	bu bu [pu] ㄅㄨ pu										b-
p-	pa pa [pʰɑ] ㄆㄚ p'a	pai pai [pʰaɪ̯] ㄆㄞ p'ai	pao pao [pʰɑʊ̯] ㄆㄠ p'ao	pan pan [pʰan] ㄆㄢ p'an	pang pang [pʰɑŋ] ㄆㄤ p'ang		pei pei [pʰeɪ̯] ㄆㄟ p'ei	pen pen [pʰən] ㄆㄣ p'en	peng peng [pʰəŋ] ㄆㄥ p'eng	po po [pʰu̯ɔ] ㄆㄛ p'o	pou pou [pʰɤʊ̯] ㄆㄡ p'ou		pi pi [pʰi] ㄆㄧ p'i			piao piao [pʰi̯ɑʊ̯] ㄆㄧㄠ p'iao	pie pie [pʰiɛ] ㄆㄧㄝ p'ieh		pian pian [pʰiɛn] ㄆㄧㄢ p'ien		min min [pʰin] ㄆㄧㄣ p'in	ping ping [pʰiŋ] ㄆㄧㄥ p'ing	pu pu [pʰu] ㄆㄨ p'u										p-
m-	ma ma [mɑ] ㄇㄚ ma	mai mai [maɪ̯] ㄇㄞ mai	mao mao [mɑʊ̯] ㄇㄠ mao	man man [man] ㄇㄢ man	mang mang [mɑŋ] ㄇㄤ mang	me me [mɯ̯ʌ] ㄇㄜ me	mei mei [meɪ̯] ㄇㄟ mei	men men [mən] ㄇㄣ men	meng meng [məŋ] ㄇㄥ meng	mo mo [mu̯ɔ] ㄇㄛ mo	mou mou [mɤʊ̯] ㄇㄡ mou		mi mi [mi] ㄇㄧ mi			miao miao [mi̯ɑʊ̯] ㄇㄧㄠ miao	mie mie [miɛ] ㄇㄧㄝ mieh	miu miu [mi̯ɤʊ̯] ㄇㄧㄡ miu	mian mian [miɛn] ㄇㄧㄢ mien			ming ming [miŋ] ㄇㄧㄥ ming	mu mu [mu] ㄇㄨ mu										m-
f-	fa fa [fɑ] ㄈㄚ fa			fan fan [fan] ㄈㄢ fan	fang fang [fɑŋ] ㄈㄤ fang		fei fei [feɪ̯] ㄈㄟ fei	fen fen [fən] ㄈㄣ fen	feng feng [fəŋ] ㄈㄥ feng	fo fo [fu̯ɔ] ㄈㄛ fo	fou fou [fɤʊ̯] ㄈㄡ fou												fu fu [fu] ㄈㄨ fu										f-
d-	da da [tɑ] ㄉㄚ ta	dai dai [taɪ̯] ㄉㄞ tai	dao dao [tɑʊ̯] ㄉㄠ tao	dan dan [tan] ㄉㄢ tan	dang dang [tɑŋ] ㄉㄤ tang	de de [tɯ̯ʌ] ㄉㄜ te	dei dei [teɪ̯] ㄉㄟ tei	den den [tən] ㄉㄣ ten	deng deng [təŋ] ㄉㄥ teng		dou dou [tɤʊ̯] ㄉㄡ tou	dong dong [tʊŋ] ㄉㄨㄥ tung	di di [ti] ㄉㄧ ti			diao diao [ti̯ɑʊ̯] ㄉㄧㄠ tiao	die die [tiɛ] ㄉㄧㄝ tieh	diu diu [ti̯ɤʊ̯] ㄉㄧㄡ tiu	dian dian [tiɛn] ㄉㄧㄢ tien			ding ding [tiŋ] ㄉㄧㄥ ting	du du [tu] ㄉㄨ tu			dui dui [tu̯eɪ̯] ㄉㄨㄟ tui	duo duo [tu̯ɔ] ㄉㄨㄛ to	duan duan [tu̯an] ㄉㄨㄢ tuan		dun dun [tu̯ən] ㄉㄨㄣ tun			d-
t-	ta ta [tʰɑ] ㄊㄚ t'a	tai tai [tʰaɪ̯] ㄊㄞ t'ai	tao tao [tʰɑʊ̯] ㄊㄠ t'ao	tan tan [tʰan] ㄊㄢ t'an	tang tang [tʰɑŋ] ㄊㄤ t'ang	te te [tʰɯ̯ʌ] ㄊㄜ t'e			teng teng [tʰəŋ] ㄊㄥ t'eng		tou tou [tʰɤʊ̯] ㄊㄡ t'ou	tong tong [tʰʊŋ] ㄊㄨㄥ t'ung	ti ti [tʰi] ㄊㄧ t'i			tiao tiao [tʰi̯ɑʊ̯] ㄊㄧㄠ t'iao	tie tie [tʰiɛ] ㄊㄧㄝ t'ieh		tian tian [tʰiɛn] ㄊㄧㄢ t'ien			ting ting [tʰiŋ] ㄊㄧㄥ t'ing	tu tu [tʰu] ㄊㄨ t'u			tui tui [tʰu̯eɪ̯] ㄊㄨㄟ t'ui	tuo tuo [tʰu̯ɔ] ㄊㄨㄛ t'o	tuan tuan [tʰu̯an] ㄊㄨㄢ t'uan		tun tun [tʰu̯ən] ㄊㄨㄣ t'un			t-
n-	na na [nɑ] ㄋㄚ na	nai nai [naɪ̯] ㄋㄞ nai	nao nao [nɑʊ̯] ㄋㄠ nao	nan nan [nan] ㄋㄢ nan	nang nang [nɑŋ] ㄋㄤ nang	ne ne [nɯ̯ʌ] ㄋㄜ ne	nei nei [neɪ̯] ㄋㄟ nei	nen nen [nən] ㄋㄣ nen	neng neng [nəŋ] ㄋㄥ neng		nou nou [nɤʊ̯] ㄋㄡ nou	nong nong [nʊŋ] ㄋㄨㄥ nung	ni ni [ni] ㄋㄧ ni			niao niao [ni̯ɑʊ̯] ㄋㄧㄠ niao	nie nie [niɛ] ㄋㄧㄝ nieh	niu niu [ni̯ɤʊ̯] ㄋㄧㄡ niu	nian nian [niɛn] ㄋㄧㄢ nien	niang niang [ni̯ɑŋ] ㄋㄧㄤ niang	nin nin [nin] ㄋㄧㄣ nin	ning ning [niŋ] ㄋㄧㄥ ning	nu nu [nu] ㄋㄨ nu				nuo nuo [nu̯ɔ] ㄋㄨㄛ no	nuan nuan [nu̯an] ㄋㄨㄢ nuan			nü nü [ny] ㄋㄩ nü	nüe nüe [ny̯œ] ㄋㄩㄝ nüeh	n-
l-	la la [lɑ] ㄌㄚ la	lai lai [laɪ̯] ㄌㄞ lai	lao lao [lɑʊ̯] ㄌㄠ lao	lan lan [lan] ㄌㄢ lan	lang lang [lɑŋ] ㄌㄤ lang	le le [lɯ̯ʌ] ㄌㄜ le	lei lei [leɪ̯] ㄌㄟ lei		leng leng [ləŋ] ㄌㄥ leng	lo lo [lu̯ɔ] ㄌㄛ lo	lou lou [lɤʊ̯] ㄌㄡ lou	long long [lʊŋ] ㄌㄨㄥ lung	li li [li] ㄌㄧ li		lia lia [li̯ɑ] ㄌㄧㄚ lia	liao liao [li̯ɑʊ̯] ㄌㄧㄠ liao	lie lie [liɛ] ㄌㄧㄝ lieh	liu liu [li̯ɤʊ̯] ㄌㄧㄡ liu	lian lian [liɛn] ㄌㄧㄢ lien	liang liang [li̯ɑŋ] ㄌㄧㄤ liang	lin lin [lin] ㄌㄧㄣ lin	ling ling [liŋ] ㄌㄧㄥ ling	lu lu [lu] ㄌㄨ lu				luo luo [lu̯ɔ] ㄌㄨㄛ lo	luan luan [lu̯an] ㄌㄨㄢ luan		lun lun [lu̯ən] ㄌㄨㄣ lun	lü lü [ly] ㄌㄩ lü	lüe lüe [ly̯œ] ㄌㄩㄝ lüeh	l-
s-	sa sa [sɑ] ㄙㄚ sa	sai sai [saɪ̯] ㄙㄞ sai	sao sao [sɑʊ̯] ㄙㄠ sao	san san [san] ㄙㄢ san	sang sang [sɑŋ] ㄙㄤ sang	se se [sɯ̯ʌ] ㄙㄜ se		sen sen [sən] ㄙㄣ sen	seng seng [səŋ] ㄙㄥ seng		sou sou [sɤʊ̯] ㄙㄡ sou	song song [sʊŋ] ㄙㄨㄥ sung		si si [sɿ] ㄙ ssu									su su [su] ㄙㄨ su			sui sui [su̯eɪ̯] ㄙㄨㄟ sui	suo suo [su̯ɔ] ㄙㄨㄛ so	suan suan [su̯an] ㄙㄨㄢ suan		sun sun [su̯ən] ㄙㄨㄣ sun			s-
g-	ga ga [kɑ] ㄍㄚ ka	gai gai [kaɪ̯] ㄍㄞ kai	gao gao [kɑʊ̯] ㄍㄠ kao	gan gan [kan] ㄍㄢ kan	gang gang [kɑŋ] ㄍㄤ kang	ge ge [kɯ̯ʌ] ㄍㄜ ke	gei gei [keɪ̯] ㄍㄟ kei	gen gen [kən] ㄍㄣ ken	geng geng [kəŋ] ㄍㄥ keng		gou gou [kɤʊ̯] ㄍㄡ kou	gong gong [kʊŋ] ㄍㄨㄥ kung											gu gu [ku] ㄍㄨ ku	gua gua [ku̯ɑ] ㄍㄨㄚ kua	guai guai [ku̯aɪ̯] ㄍㄨㄞ kuai	gui gui [ku̯eɪ̯] ㄍㄨㄟ kui	guo guo [ku̯ɔ] ㄍㄨㄛ ko	guan guan [ku̯an] ㄍㄨㄢ kuan	guang guang [ku̯ɑŋ] ㄍㄨㄤ kuang	gun gun [ku̯ən] ㄍㄨㄣ kun			g-
k-	ka ka [kʰɑ] ㄎㄚ k'a	kai kai [kʰaɪ̯] ㄎㄞ k'ai	kao kao [kʰɑʊ̯] ㄎㄠ k'ao	kan kan [kʰan] ㄎㄢ k'an	kang kang [kʰɑŋ] ㄎㄤ k'ang	ke ke [kʰɯ̯ʌ] ㄎㄜ k'e	kei kei [kʰeɪ̯] ㄎㄟ k'ei	ken ken [kʰən] ㄎㄣ k'en	keng keng [kʰəŋ] ㄎㄥ k'eng		kou kou [kʰɤʊ̯] ㄎㄡ k'ou	kong kong [kʰʊŋ] ㄎㄨㄥ k'ung											ku ku [kʰu] ㄎㄨ k'u	kua kua [kʰu̯ɑ] ㄎㄨㄚ k'ua	kuai kuai [kʰu̯aɪ̯] ㄎㄨㄞ k'uai	kui kui [kʰu̯eɪ̯] ㄎㄨㄟ k'ui	kuo kuo [kʰu̯ɔ] ㄎㄨㄛ k'o	kuan kuan [kʰu̯an] ㄎㄨㄢ k'uan	kuang kuang [kʰu̯ɑŋ] ㄎㄨㄤ k'uang	kun kun [kʰu̯ən] ㄎㄨㄣ k'un			k-
h-	ha ha [xɑ] ㄏㄚ ha	hai hai [xaɪ̯] ㄏㄞ hai	hao hao [xɑʊ̯] ㄏㄠ hao	han han [xan] ㄏㄢ han	hang hang [xɑŋ] ㄏㄤ hang	he he [xɯ̯ʌ] ㄏㄜ he	hei hei [xeɪ̯] ㄏㄟ hei	hen hen [xən] ㄏㄣ hen	heng heng [xəŋ] ㄏㄥ heng		hou hou [xɤʊ̯] ㄏㄡ hou	hong hong [xʊŋ] ㄏㄨㄥ hung											hu hu [xu] ㄏㄨ hu	hua hua [xu̯ɑ] ㄏㄨㄚ hua	huai huai [xu̯aɪ̯] ㄏㄨㄞ huai	hui hui [xu̯eɪ̯] ㄏㄨㄟ hui	huo huo [xu̯ɔ] ㄏㄨㄛ ho	huan huan [xu̯an] ㄏㄨㄢ huan	huang huang [xu̯ɑŋ] ㄏㄨㄤ huang	hun hun [xu̯ən] ㄏㄨㄣ hun			h-