Difference between revisions of "The "o" and "u" vowels"

 
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Although we treated [[Pinyin: the "a" vowel|the "a" vowel]], [[Pinyin: the "e" vowel|the "e" vowel]], and [[Pinyin: the "i" vowel|the "i" vowel]] separately, we're going to present "o" and "u" together because, well... these two sounds kind of have a thing for each other, and it makes sense to do it this way.
 
Although we treated [[Pinyin: the "a" vowel|the "a" vowel]], [[Pinyin: the "e" vowel|the "e" vowel]], and [[Pinyin: the "i" vowel|the "i" vowel]] separately, we're going to present "o" and "u" together because, well... these two sounds kind of have a thing for each other, and it makes sense to do it this way.
  
{{#widget: Pinyin chart settings}}
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== Pinyin's Main "o" Vowel Sound ==
<div class="pinyin-table-audio-container"></div>
 
<div class="table-container"><table class="pinyin-table medium" id="pinyin-table">
 
<tr><!--  TABLE HEADERS  -->
 
<th class="first-row first-col"></th>
 
<th title="Click to expand" class="col-o col-placeholder first-row"><strong>-o-</strong></th>
 
<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-o" id="-o"><strong>-o</strong></th>
 
<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-o" id="-ou"><strong>-ou</strong></th>
 
<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-o" id="-ong"><strong>-ong</strong></th>
 
<th title="Click to expand" class="col-u col-placeholder first-row"><strong>-u-</strong></th>
 
<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-u" id="-u"><strong>-u</strong></th>
 
<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-u" id="-ua"><strong>-ua</strong></th>
 
<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-u" id="-uai"><strong>-uai</strong></th>
 
<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-u" id="-uei"><strong>-uei</strong></th>
 
<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-u" id="-uo"><strong>-uo</strong></th>
 
<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-u" id="-uan"><strong>-uan</strong></th>
 
<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-u" id="-uang"><strong>-uang</strong></th>
 
<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-u" id="-uen"><strong>-uen</strong></th>
 
<th title="Click to collapse" class="first-row col-u" id="-ueng"><strong>-ueng</strong></th>
 
</tr>
 
  
<tr><!--  ZERO-INITIAL ROW  -->
+
The "o" vowel sound in Mandarin can be a little tricky, because you probably expect it to sound like the English word <span class="enpron">"oh"</span>, but that sound is mostly represented by [[-ou]] in pinyin. Let's dig into the details.
<th class="row-null first-col" id="∅-"><strong>∅-</strong></th>
 
<td class="row-null col-o col-placeholder"></td>
 
<td class="row-null col-o" id="o"><div class="table-pinyin">o</div><div class="table-link">[[o]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[ɔ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄛ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">o</div></td>
 
<td class="row-null col-o" id="ou"><div class="table-pinyin">ou</div><div class="table-link">[[ou]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[ɤʊ̯]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄡ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">ou</div></td>
 
<td class="row-null col-o"></td>
 
<td class="row-null col-u col-placeholder"></td>
 
<td class="row-null col-u" id="wu"><div class="table-pinyin">wu</div><div class="table-link">[[wu]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[u]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄨ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">wu</div></td>
 
<td class="row-null col-u" id="wa"><div class="table-pinyin">wa</div><div class="table-link">[[wa]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[u̯ɑ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄨㄚ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">wa</div></td>
 
<td class="row-null col-u" id="wai"><div class="table-pinyin">wai</div><div class="table-link">[[wai]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[u̯aɪ̯]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄨㄞ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">wai</div></td>
 
<td class="row-null col-u" id="wei"><div class="table-pinyin">wei</div><div class="table-link">[[wei]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[u̯eɪ̯]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄨㄟ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">wei</div></td>
 
<td class="row-null col-u" id="wo"><div class="table-pinyin">wo</div><div class="table-link">[[wo]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[u̯ɔ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄨㄛ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">wo</div></td>
 
<td class="row-null col-u" id="wan"><div class="table-pinyin">wan</div><div class="table-link">[[wan]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[u̯an]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄨㄢ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">wan</div></td>
 
<td class="row-null col-u" id="wang"><div class="table-pinyin">wang</div><div class="table-link">[[wang]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[u̯ɑŋ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄨㄤ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">wang</div></td>
 
<td class="row-null col-u" id="wen"><div class="table-pinyin">wen</div><div class="table-link">[[wen]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[u̯ən]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄨㄣ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">wen</div></td>
 
<td class="row-null col-u" id="weng"><div class="table-pinyin">weng</div><div class="table-link">[[weng]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[u̯əŋ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄨㄥ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">weng</div></td>
 
</tr>
 
  
<tr><!--  B- ROW  -->
+
* [[-o]] actually represents two different sounds in pinyin. The one at the top, [[o]], is the pure "o" sound, although it sounds a bit terse and cut off, compared to the English word <span class="enpron">"oh"</span>. The syllable [[lo]] rhymes with [[o]]. ''All the other [[-o]] syllables in this column sound a bit different''. The syllables [[bo]], [[po]], [[mo]], [[fo]] seem to rhyme with the [[-uo]] column (coming up later in this section). For these syllables, the [[-o]] sound comes across like kind of a <span class="enpron">"oo-uh"</span> sound, which you should ''really listen to a lot'' until you get a feel for it.
<th class="row-bpmf first-col" id="b-"><strong>b-</strong></th>
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* [[-ou]], as previously mentioned, is easy. It sounds pretty much like the English word <span class="enpron">"oh"</span>. No tricks! Just don't confuse it with [[-uo]].
<td class="row-bpmf col-o col-placeholder"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-o" id="bo"><div class="table-pinyin">bo</div><div class="table-link">[[bo]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[pu̯ɔ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄅㄛ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">po</div></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-o"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-o"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u col-placeholder"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u" id="bu"><div class="table-pinyin">bu</div><div class="table-link">[[bu]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[pu]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄅㄨ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">pu</div></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>  
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>  
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>
 
</tr>
 
  
<tr><!--  P- ROW  -->
+
== Pinyin's Main "u" Vowel Sound ==
<th class="row-bpmf first-col" id="p-"><strong>p-</strong></th>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-o col-placeholder"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-o" id="po"><div class="table-pinyin">po</div><div class="table-link">[[po]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[pʰu̯ɔ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄆㄛ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">p'o</div></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-o" id="pou"><div class="table-pinyin">pou</div><div class="table-link">[[pou]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[pʰɤʊ̯]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄆㄡ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">p'ou</div></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-o"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u col-placeholder"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u" id="pu"><div class="table-pinyin">pu</div><div class="table-link">[[pu]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[pʰu]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄆㄨ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">p'u</div></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>
 
</tr>
 
  
<tr><!--  M- ROW  -->
+
* [[-u]] is super simple; it sounds like the English <span class="enpron">"oo"</span> sound. The only catch is that the syllable at the top is written [[wu]] but pronounced <span class="enpron">"oo"</span> (and ''not'' like <span class="enpron">"woo"</span> as in Homer Simpson's <span class="enpron">"whoo-hoo"</span> cry of joy). Everything in this column rhymes.
<th class="row-bpmf first-col" id="m-"><strong>m-</strong></th>
+
* [[-ua]] is pronounced as expected: pinyin [[-u]] + [[-a]] (the <span class="enpron">"ah"</span> one). Remember to write the syllable at the top "[[wa]]"; it still rhymes with the three syllables below it: [[gua]], [[kua]], [[hua]].
<td class="row-bpmf col-o col-placeholder"></td>  
+
* [[-uai]] is just [[-u]] + [[-ai]] (two pinyin sounds you already know). Remember to write the syllable at the top "[[wai]]"; it still rhymes with the three syllables below it: [[guai]], [[kuai]], [[huai]].
<td class="row-bpmf col-o" id="mo"><div class="table-pinyin">mo</div><div class="table-link">[[mo]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[mu̯ɔ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄇㄛ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">mo</div></td>
+
* [[-uei]] is a tricky one, because all three letters "uei" never occur together in an actual pinyin syllable. At the top, the syllable is written [[wei]], which seems straightforward enough, and sounds like the English word <span class="enpron">"way"</span>. But the rhyming syllables below include the "u" but drop the letter "e", making them [[dui]], [[tui]], [[sui]], [[gui]], [[kui]], [[hui]]. Remember that [[dui]] (like the others) is pronounced like <span class="enpron">"dway"</span> and not <span class="enpron">"dwee"</span>!
<td class="row-bpmf col-o" id="mou"><div class="table-pinyin">mou</div><div class="table-link">[[mou]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[mɤʊ̯]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄇㄡ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">mou</div></td>  
+
* [[-uo]], as mentioned above, makes a sort of <span class="enpron">"oo-uh"</span> sound, and not a <span class="enpron">"whoa"</span> sound. Notice that the syllable at the top is spelled [[wo]]. This is an important syllable, because it's used to say the word for "I" in Chinese! Just don't be the one pronouncing this word the same as the English words <span class="enpron">"whoa"</span> or <span class="enpron">"woe"</span> . Everything under [[wo]] ([[duo]], [[tuo]], [[nuo]], etc.) rhymes with it.
<td class="row-bpmf col-o"></td>
+
* [[-uan]] is easy. It's just the pinyin sounds [[-u]] + [[-an]]. The syllable at the top is written [[wan]], and sounds like the English word <span class="enpron">"<strong>wan</strong>d"</span>, minus the "d" sound. Everything under [[wan]] in that column rhymes with it: [[duan]], [[tuan]], [[nuan]], etc.
<td class="row-bpmf col-u col-placeholder"></td>  
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* [[-uang]] is almost identical to [[-uan]], just swiping out the final [[-n]] for a final [[-ng]]. The syllable at the top is written [[wang]]. Everything under [[wang]] in that column rhymes with it: [[guang]], [[kuang]], [[huang]].
<td class="row-bpmf col-u" id="mu"><div class="table-pinyin">mu</div><div class="table-link">[[mu]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[mu]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄇㄨ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">mu</div></td>  
+
* [[-uen]] is just pinyin [[-u]] + [[-en]], but is also a little tricky in that both letters "ue" never occur together in an actual pinyin syllable. At the top you have [[wen]], and the rhyming syllables below it are written [[dun]], [[tun]], [[lun]], etc. (the "e" is omitted).
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>
+
* [[-ueng]] is just pinyin [[-u]] + [[-eng]], but is a quite rare final. Here, the only one we have is [[weng]], which is also a rare syllable.
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>  
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>  
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>
 
</tr>
 
  
<tr><!--  F- ROW  -->
+
== Pinyin Chart Fragment ==
<th class="row-bpmf first-col" id="f-"><strong>f-</strong></th>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-o col-placeholder"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-o" id="fo"><div class="table-pinyin">fo</div><div class="table-link">[[fo]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[fu̯ɔ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄈㄛ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">fo</div></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-o" id="fou"><div class="table-pinyin">fou</div><div class="table-link">[[fou]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[fɤʊ̯]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄈㄡ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">fou</div></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-o"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u col-placeholder"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u" id="fu"><div class="table-pinyin">fu</div><div class="table-link">[[fu]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[fu]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄈㄨ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">fu</div></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-bpmf col-u"></td>
 
</tr>
 
  
<tr><!--  D- ROW  -->
+
This is just a part of the full [[pinyin chart]], limited to the sounds we've covered so far.
<th class="row-dtnl first-col" id="d-"><strong>d-</strong></th>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-o col-placeholder"></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-o"></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-o" id="dou"><div class="table-pinyin">dou</div><div class="table-link">[[dou]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[tɤʊ̯]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄉㄡ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">tou</div></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-o" id="dong"><div class="table-pinyin">dong</div><div class="table-link">[[dong]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[tʊŋ] </div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄉㄨㄥ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">tung</div></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u col-placeholder"></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u" id="du"><div class="table-pinyin">du</div><div class="table-link">[[du]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[tu]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄉㄨ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">tu</div></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u" id="dui"><div class="table-pinyin">dui</div><div class="table-link">[[dui]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[tu̯eɪ̯]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄉㄨㄟ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">tui</div></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u" id="duo"><div class="table-pinyin">duo</div><div class="table-link">[[duo]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[tu̯ɔ] </div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄉㄨㄛ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">to</div></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u" id="duan"><div class="table-pinyin">duan</div><div class="table-link">[[duan]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[tu̯an]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄉㄨㄢ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">tuan</div></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u" id="dun"><div class="table-pinyin">dun</div><div class="table-link">[[dun]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[tu̯ən]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄉㄨㄣ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">tun</div></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u"></td>
 
</tr>
 
  
<tr><!--  T- ROW  -->
+
{{#widget: Pinyin chart
<th class="row-dtnl first-col" id="t-"><strong>t-</strong></th>
+
| exclude_col_a
<td class="row-dtnl col-o col-placeholder"></td>
+
| exclude_col_e
<td class="row-dtnl col-o"></td>
+
| exclude_col_i
<td class="row-dtnl col-o" id="tou"><div class="table-pinyin">tou</div><div class="table-link">[[tou]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[tʰɤʊ̯]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄊㄡ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">t'ou</div></td>
+
| exclude_col_v
<td class="row-dtnl col-o" id="tong"><div class="table-pinyin">tong</div><div class="table-link">[[tong]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[tʰʊŋ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄊㄨㄥ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">t'ung</div></td>
+
| exclude_row_jqx
<td class="row-dtnl col-u col-placeholder"></td>
+
| exclude_row_zhchshr
<td class="row-dtnl col-u" id="tu"><div class="table-pinyin">tu</div><div class="table-link">[[tu]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[tʰu]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄊㄨ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">t'u</div></td>
+
}}
<td class="row-dtnl col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u" id="tui"><div class="table-pinyin">tui</div><div class="table-link">[[tui]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[tʰu̯eɪ̯]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄊㄨㄟ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">t'ui</div></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u" id="tuo"><div class="table-pinyin">tuo</div><div class="table-link">[[tuo]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[tʰu̯ɔ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄊㄨㄛ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">t'o</div></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u" id="tuan"><div class="table-pinyin">tuan</div><div class="table-link">[[tuan]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[tʰu̯an]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄊㄨㄢ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">t'uan</div></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u" id="tun"><div class="table-pinyin">tun</div><div class="table-link">[[tun]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[tʰu̯ən]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄊㄨㄣ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">t'un</div></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u"></td>
 
</tr>
 
  
<tr><!--  N- ROW  -->
+
This section has been quite full! Be sure to listen to the audio a lot and get really familiar with these sounds. Then move on to [[the "c" and "z" sounds]].
<th class="row-dtnl first-col" id="n-"><strong>n-</strong></th>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-o col-placeholder"></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-o"></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-o" id="nou"><div class="table-pinyin">nou</div><div class="table-link">[[nou]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[nɤʊ̯]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄋㄡ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">nou</div></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-o" id="nong"><div class="table-pinyin">nong</div><div class="table-link">[[nong]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[nʊŋ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄋㄨㄥ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">nung</div></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u col-placeholder"></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u" id="nu"><div class="table-pinyin">nu</div><div class="table-link">[[nu]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[nu]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄋㄨ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">nu</div></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u" id="nuo"><div class="table-pinyin">nuo</div><div class="table-link">[[nuo]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[nu̯ɔ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄋㄨㄛ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">no</div></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u" id="nuan"><div class="table-pinyin">nuan</div><div class="table-link">[[nuan]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[nu̯an]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄋㄨㄢ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">nuan</div></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u"></td>
 
</tr>
 
  
<tr><!--  L- ROW  -->
+
== Sources and further reading ==
<th class="row-dtnl first-col" id="l-"><strong>l-</strong></th>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-o col-placeholder"></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-o" id="lo"><div class="table-pinyin">lo</div><div class="table-link">[[lo]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[lu̯ɔ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄌㄛ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">lo</div></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-o" id="lou"><div class="table-pinyin">lou</div><div class="table-link">[[lou]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[lɤʊ̯]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄌㄡ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">lou</div></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-o" id="long"><div class="table-pinyin">long</div><div class="table-link">[[long]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[lʊŋ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄌㄨㄥ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">lung</div></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u col-placeholder"></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u" id="lu"><div class="table-pinyin">lu</div><div class="table-link">[[lu]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[lu]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄌㄨ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">lu</div></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u" id="luo"><div class="table-pinyin">luo</div><div class="table-link">[[luo]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[lu̯ɔ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄌㄨㄛ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">lo</div></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u" id="luan"><div class="table-pinyin">luan</div><div class="table-link">[[luan]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[lu̯an]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄌㄨㄢ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">luan</div></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u" id="lun"><div class="table-pinyin">lun</div><div class="table-link">[[lun]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[lu̯ən]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄌㄨㄣ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">lun</div></td>
 
<td class="row-dtnl col-u"></td>
 
</tr>
 
  
<tr><!--  S- ROW  -->
+
* Sinosplice: [http://www.sinosplice.com/learn-chinese/pronunciation-of-mandarin-chinese/2 Chinese Pronunciation]
<th class="row-zcs first-col" id="s-"><strong>s-</strong></th>
+
* ChinesePod: [http://chinesepod.com/tools/pronunciation/section/11 Non-Nasal U with Easy Consonants], [http://chinesepod.com/tools/pronunciation/section/12 Nasal U with Easy Consonants]
<td class="row-zcs col-o col-placeholder"></td>
 
<td class="row-zcs col-o"></td>
 
<td class="row-zcs col-o" id="sou"><div class="table-pinyin">sou</div><div class="table-link">[[sou]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[sɤʊ̯]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄙㄡ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">sou</div></td>
 
<td class="row-zcs col-o" id="song"><div class="table-pinyin">song</div><div class="table-link">[[song]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[sʊŋ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄙㄨㄥ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">sung</div></td>
 
<td class="row-zcs col-u col-placeholder"></td>
 
<td class="row-zcs col-u" id="su"><div class="table-pinyin">su</div><div class="table-link">[[su]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[su]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄙㄨ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">su</div></td>
 
<td class="row-zcs col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-zcs col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-zcs col-u" id="sui"><div class="table-pinyin">sui</div><div class="table-link">[[sui]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[su̯eɪ̯]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄙㄨㄟ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">sui</div></td>
 
<td class="row-zcs col-u" id="suo"><div class="table-pinyin">suo</div><div class="table-link">[[suo]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[su̯ɔ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄙㄨㄛ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">so</div></td>
 
<td class="row-zcs col-u" id="suan"><div class="table-pinyin">suan</div><div class="table-link">[[suan]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[su̯an]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄙㄨㄢ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">suan</div></td>
 
<td class="row-zcs col-u"></td>
 
<td class="row-zcs col-u" id="sun"><div class="table-pinyin">sun</div><div class="table-link">[[sun]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[su̯ən]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄙㄨㄣ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">sun</div></td>
 
<td class="row-zcs col-u"></td>
 
</tr>
 
 
 
<tr><!--  G- ROW  -->
 
<th class="row-gkh first-col" id="g-"><strong>g-</strong></th>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-o col-placeholder"></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-o"></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-o" id="gou"><div class="table-pinyin">gou</div><div class="table-link">[[gou]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[kɤʊ̯]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄍㄡ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">kou</div></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-o" id="gong"><div class="table-pinyin">gong</div><div class="table-link">[[gong]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[kʊŋ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄍㄨㄥ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">kung</div></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-u col-placeholder"></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-u" id="gu"><div class="table-pinyin">gu</div><div class="table-link">[[gu]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[ku]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄍㄨ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">ku</div></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-u" id="gua"><div class="table-pinyin">gua</div><div class="table-link">[[gua]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[ku̯ɑ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄍㄨㄚ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">kua</div></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-u" id="guai"><div class="table-pinyin">guai</div><div class="table-link">[[guai]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[ku̯aɪ̯]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄍㄨㄞ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">kuai</div></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-u" id="gui"><div class="table-pinyin">gui</div><div class="table-link">[[gui]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[ku̯eɪ̯]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄍㄨㄟ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">kui</div></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-u" id="guo"><div class="table-pinyin">guo</div><div class="table-link">[[guo]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[ku̯ɔ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄍㄨㄛ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">ko</div></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-u" id="guan"><div class="table-pinyin">guan</div><div class="table-link">[[guan]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[ku̯an]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄍㄨㄢ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">kuan</div></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-u" id="guang"><div class="table-pinyin">guang</div><div class="table-link">[[guang]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[ku̯ɑŋ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄍㄨㄤ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">kuang</div></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-u" id="gun"><div class="table-pinyin">gun</div><div class="table-link">[[gun]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[ku̯ən]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄍㄨㄣ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">kun</div></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-u"></td>
 
</tr>
 
 
 
<tr><!--  K- ROW  -->
 
<th class="row-gkh first-col" id="k-"><strong>k-</strong></th>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-o col-placeholder"></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-o"></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-o" id="kou"><div class="table-pinyin">kou</div><div class="table-link">[[kou]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[kʰɤʊ̯]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄎㄡ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">k'ou</div></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-o" id="kong"><div class="table-pinyin">kong</div><div class="table-link">[[kong]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[kʰʊŋ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄎㄨㄥ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">k'ung</div></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-u col-placeholder"></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-u" id="ku"><div class="table-pinyin">ku</div><div class="table-link">[[ku]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[kʰu]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄎㄨ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">k'u</div></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-u" id="kua"><div class="table-pinyin">kua</div><div class="table-link">[[kua]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[kʰu̯ɑ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄎㄨㄚ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">k'ua</div></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-u" id="kuai"><div class="table-pinyin">kuai</div><div class="table-link">[[kuai]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[kʰu̯aɪ̯]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄎㄨㄞ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">k'uai</div></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-u" id="kui"><div class="table-pinyin">kui</div><div class="table-link">[[kui]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[kʰu̯eɪ̯]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄎㄨㄟ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">k'ui</div></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-u" id="kuo"><div class="table-pinyin">kuo</div><div class="table-link">[[kuo]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[kʰu̯ɔ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄎㄨㄛ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">k'o</div></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-u" id="kuan"><div class="table-pinyin">kuan</div><div class="table-link">[[kuan]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[kʰu̯an]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄎㄨㄢ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">k'uan</div></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-u" id="kuang"><div class="table-pinyin">kuang</div><div class="table-link">[[kuang]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[kʰu̯ɑŋ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄎㄨㄤ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">k'uang</div></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-u" id="kun"><div class="table-pinyin">kun</div><div class="table-link">[[kun]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[kʰu̯ən]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄎㄨㄣ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">k'un</div></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-u"></td>
 
</tr>
 
 
 
<tr><!--  H- ROW  -->
 
<th class="row-gkh first-col" id="h-"><strong>h-</strong></th>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-o col-placeholder"></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-o"></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-o" id="hou"><div class="table-pinyin">hou</div><div class="table-link">[[hou]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[xɤʊ̯]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄏㄡ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">hou</div></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-o" id="hong"><div class="table-pinyin">hong</div><div class="table-link">[[hong]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[xʊŋ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄏㄨㄥ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">hung</div></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-u col-placeholder"></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-u" id="hu"><div class="table-pinyin">hu</div><div class="table-link">[[hu]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[xu]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄏㄨ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">hu</div></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-u" id="hua"><div class="table-pinyin">hua</div><div class="table-link">[[hua]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[xu̯ɑ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄏㄨㄚ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">hua</div></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-u" id="huai"><div class="table-pinyin">huai</div><div class="table-link">[[huai]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[xu̯aɪ̯]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄏㄨㄞ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">huai</div></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-u" id="hui"><div class="table-pinyin">hui</div><div class="table-link">[[hui]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[xu̯eɪ̯]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄏㄨㄟ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">hui</div></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-u" id="huo"><div class="table-pinyin">huo</div><div class="table-link">[[huo]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[xu̯ɔ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄏㄨㄛ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">ho</div></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-u" id="huan"><div class="table-pinyin">huan</div><div class="table-link">[[huan]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[xu̯an]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄏㄨㄢ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">huan</div></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-u" id="huang"><div class="table-pinyin">huang</div><div class="table-link">[[huang]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[xu̯ɑŋ]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄏㄨㄤ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">huang</div></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-u" id="hun"><div class="table-pinyin">hun</div><div class="table-link">[[hun]]</div><div class="table-ipa">[xu̯ən]</div><div class="table-zhuyin">ㄏㄨㄣ</div><div class="table-wade-giles">hun</div></td>
 
<td class="row-gkh col-u"></td>
 
</tr>
 
</table></div>
 
  
 
{{Number in Series|5|Pinyin quick start  guide}}
 
{{Number in Series|5|Pinyin quick start  guide}}
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[[Category:Pinyin]]
 
[[Category:Pinyin]]
 
{{Basic Pronunciation|A1|34|The "o" and "u" vowels in Chinese aren't quite as straightforward as one might hope, and the two get confused a bit, so it's useful to learn them together.|pinyin|ASP00007}}
 
{{Basic Pronunciation|A1|34|The "o" and "u" vowels in Chinese aren't quite as straightforward as one might hope, and the two get confused a bit, so it's useful to learn them together.|pinyin|ASP00007}}
 +
{{References|-o}}
 +
{{References|-ou}}
 +
{{References|-u}}
 +
{{References|-ua}}
 +
{{References|-uai}}
 +
{{References|-uei}}
 +
{{References|-uo}}
 +
{{References|-uan}}
 +
{{References|-uang}}
 +
{{References|-uen}}
 +
{{References|-ueng}}

Latest revision as of 10:04, 13 May 2020

Although we treated the "a" vowel, the "e" vowel, and the "i" vowel separately, we're going to present "o" and "u" together because, well... these two sounds kind of have a thing for each other, and it makes sense to do it this way.

Pinyin's Main "o" Vowel Sound

The "o" vowel sound in Mandarin can be a little tricky, because you probably expect it to sound like the English word "oh", but that sound is mostly represented by -ou in pinyin. Let's dig into the details.

  • -o actually represents two different sounds in pinyin. The one at the top, o, is the pure "o" sound, although it sounds a bit terse and cut off, compared to the English word "oh". The syllable lo rhymes with o. All the other -o syllables in this column sound a bit different. The syllables bo, po, mo, fo seem to rhyme with the -uo column (coming up later in this section). For these syllables, the -o sound comes across like kind of a "oo-uh" sound, which you should really listen to a lot until you get a feel for it.
  • -ou, as previously mentioned, is easy. It sounds pretty much like the English word "oh". No tricks! Just don't confuse it with -uo.

Pinyin's Main "u" Vowel Sound

  • -u is super simple; it sounds like the English "oo" sound. The only catch is that the syllable at the top is written wu but pronounced "oo" (and not like "woo" as in Homer Simpson's "whoo-hoo" cry of joy). Everything in this column rhymes.
  • -ua is pronounced as expected: pinyin -u + -a (the "ah" one). Remember to write the syllable at the top "wa"; it still rhymes with the three syllables below it: gua, kua, hua.
  • -uai is just -u + -ai (two pinyin sounds you already know). Remember to write the syllable at the top "wai"; it still rhymes with the three syllables below it: guai, kuai, huai.
  • -uei is a tricky one, because all three letters "uei" never occur together in an actual pinyin syllable. At the top, the syllable is written wei, which seems straightforward enough, and sounds like the English word "way". But the rhyming syllables below include the "u" but drop the letter "e", making them dui, tui, sui, gui, kui, hui. Remember that dui (like the others) is pronounced like "dway" and not "dwee"!
  • -uo, as mentioned above, makes a sort of "oo-uh" sound, and not a "whoa" sound. Notice that the syllable at the top is spelled wo. This is an important syllable, because it's used to say the word for "I" in Chinese! Just don't be the one pronouncing this word the same as the English words "whoa" or "woe" . Everything under wo (duo, tuo, nuo, etc.) rhymes with it.
  • -uan is easy. It's just the pinyin sounds -u + -an. The syllable at the top is written wan, and sounds like the English word "wand", minus the "d" sound. Everything under wan in that column rhymes with it: duan, tuan, nuan, etc.
  • -uang is almost identical to -uan, just swiping out the final -n for a final -ng. The syllable at the top is written wang. Everything under wang in that column rhymes with it: guang, kuang, huang.
  • -uen is just pinyin -u + -en, but is also a little tricky in that both letters "ue" never occur together in an actual pinyin syllable. At the top you have wen, and the rhyming syllables below it are written dun, tun, lun, etc. (the "e" is omitted).
  • -ueng is just pinyin -u + -eng, but is a quite rare final. Here, the only one we have is weng, which is also a rare syllable.

Pinyin Chart Fragment

This is just a part of the full pinyin chart, limited to the sounds we've covered so far.

Tone: 1 2 3 4 1234 [Show more Settings]

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-a- -e- -o- -o -ou -ong -i- -u- -u -ua -uai -uei -uo -uan -uang -uen -ueng -ü-
∅-
o
[ɔ]
o
ou
[ɤʊ̯]
ou
wu
[u]
wu
wa
[u̯ɑ]
ㄨㄚ
wa
wai
[u̯aɪ̯]
ㄨㄞ
wai
wei
[u̯eɪ̯]
ㄨㄟ
wei
wo
[u̯ɔ]
ㄨㄛ
wo
wan
[u̯an]
ㄨㄢ
wan
wang
[u̯ɑŋ]
ㄨㄤ
wang
wen
[u̯ən]
ㄨㄣ
wen
weng
[u̯əŋ]
ㄨㄥ
weng
∅-
b-
bo
[pu̯ɔ]
ㄅㄛ
po
bu
[pu]
ㄅㄨ
pu
b-
p-
po
[pʰu̯ɔ]
ㄆㄛ
p'o
pou
[pʰɤʊ̯]
ㄆㄡ
p'ou
pu
[pʰu]
ㄆㄨ
p'u
p-
m-
mo
[mu̯ɔ]
ㄇㄛ
mo
mou
[mɤʊ̯]
ㄇㄡ
mou
mu
[mu]
ㄇㄨ
mu
m-
f-
fo
[fu̯ɔ]
ㄈㄛ
fo
fou
[fɤʊ̯]
ㄈㄡ
fou
fu
[fu]
ㄈㄨ
fu
f-
d-
dou
[tɤʊ̯]
ㄉㄡ
tou
dong
[tʊŋ]
ㄉㄨㄥ
tung
du
[tu]
ㄉㄨ
tu
dui
[tu̯eɪ̯]
ㄉㄨㄟ
tui
duo
[tu̯ɔ]
ㄉㄨㄛ
to
duan
[tu̯an]
ㄉㄨㄢ
tuan
dun
[tu̯ən]
ㄉㄨㄣ
tun
d-
t-
tou
[tʰɤʊ̯]
ㄊㄡ
t'ou
tong
[tʰʊŋ]
ㄊㄨㄥ
t'ung
tu
[tʰu]
ㄊㄨ
t'u
tui
[tʰu̯eɪ̯]
ㄊㄨㄟ
t'ui
tuo
[tʰu̯ɔ]
ㄊㄨㄛ
t'o
tuan
[tʰu̯an]
ㄊㄨㄢ
t'uan
tun
[tʰu̯ən]
ㄊㄨㄣ
t'un
t-
n-
nou
[nɤʊ̯]
ㄋㄡ
nou
nong
[nʊŋ]
ㄋㄨㄥ
nung
nu
[nu]
ㄋㄨ
nu
nuo
[nu̯ɔ]
ㄋㄨㄛ
no
nuan
[nu̯an]
ㄋㄨㄢ
nuan
n-
l-
lo
[lu̯ɔ]
ㄌㄛ
lo
lou
[lɤʊ̯]
ㄌㄡ
lou
long
[lʊŋ]
ㄌㄨㄥ
lung
lu
[lu]
ㄌㄨ
lu
luo
[lu̯ɔ]
ㄌㄨㄛ
lo
luan
[lu̯an]
ㄌㄨㄢ
luan
lun
[lu̯ən]
ㄌㄨㄣ
lun
l-
z-
zou
[tsɤʊ̯]
ㄗㄡ
tsou
zong
[tsʊŋ]
ㄗㄨㄥ
tsung
zu
[tsu]
ㄗㄨ
tsu
zui
[tsu̯eɪ̯]
ㄗㄨㄟ
tsui
zuo
[tsu̯ɔ]
ㄗㄨㄛ
tso
zuan
[tsu̯an]
ㄗㄨㄢ
tsuan
zun
[tsu̯ən]
ㄗㄨㄣ
tsun
z-
c-
cou
[tsʰɤʊ̯]
ㄘㄡ
ts'ou
cong
[tsʰʊŋ]
ㄘㄨㄥ
ts'ung
cu
[tsʰu]
ㄘㄨ
ts'u
cui
[tsʰu̯eɪ̯]
ㄘㄨㄟ
ts'ui
cuo
[tsʰu̯ɔ]
ㄘㄨㄛ
ts'o
cuan
[tsʰu̯an]
ㄘㄨㄢ
ts'uan
cun
[tsʰu̯ən]
ㄘㄨㄣ
ts'un
c-
s-
sou
[sɤʊ̯]
ㄙㄡ
sou
song
[sʊŋ]
ㄙㄨㄥ
sung
su
[su]
ㄙㄨ
su
sui
[su̯eɪ̯]
ㄙㄨㄟ
sui
suo
[su̯ɔ]
ㄙㄨㄛ
so
suan
[su̯an]
ㄙㄨㄢ
suan
sun
[su̯ən]
ㄙㄨㄣ
sun
s-
g-
gou
[kɤʊ̯]
ㄍㄡ
kou
gong
[kʊŋ]
ㄍㄨㄥ
kung
gu
[ku]
ㄍㄨ
ku
gua
[ku̯ɑ]
ㄍㄨㄚ
kua
guai
[ku̯aɪ̯]
ㄍㄨㄞ
kuai
gui
[ku̯eɪ̯]
ㄍㄨㄟ
kui
guo
[ku̯ɔ]
ㄍㄨㄛ
ko
guan
[ku̯an]
ㄍㄨㄢ
kuan
guang
[ku̯ɑŋ]
ㄍㄨㄤ
kuang
gun
[ku̯ən]
ㄍㄨㄣ
kun
g-
k-
kou
[kʰɤʊ̯]
ㄎㄡ
k'ou
kong
[kʰʊŋ]
ㄎㄨㄥ
k'ung
ku
[kʰu]
ㄎㄨ
k'u
kua
[kʰu̯ɑ]
ㄎㄨㄚ
k'ua
kuai
[kʰu̯aɪ̯]
ㄎㄨㄞ
k'uai
kui
[kʰu̯eɪ̯]
ㄎㄨㄟ
k'ui
kuo
[kʰu̯ɔ]
ㄎㄨㄛ
k'o
kuan
[kʰu̯an]
ㄎㄨㄢ
k'uan
kuang
[kʰu̯ɑŋ]
ㄎㄨㄤ
k'uang
kun
[kʰu̯ən]
ㄎㄨㄣ
k'un
k-
h-
hou
[xɤʊ̯]
ㄏㄡ
hou
hong
[xʊŋ]
ㄏㄨㄥ
hung
hu
[xu]
ㄏㄨ
hu
hua
[xu̯ɑ]
ㄏㄨㄚ
hua
huai
[xu̯aɪ̯]
ㄏㄨㄞ
huai
hui
[xu̯eɪ̯]
ㄏㄨㄟ
hui
huo
[xu̯ɔ]
ㄏㄨㄛ
ho
huan
[xu̯an]
ㄏㄨㄢ
huan
huang
[xu̯ɑŋ]
ㄏㄨㄤ
huang
hun
[xu̯ən]
ㄏㄨㄣ
hun
h-
-a- -e- -o- -o -ou -ong -i- -u- -u -ua -uai -uei -uo -uan -uang -uen -ueng -ü-

This section has been quite full! Be sure to listen to the audio a lot and get really familiar with these sounds. Then move on to the "c" and "z" sounds.

Sources and further reading