PHONETIC SYMBOLS & PRONUNCIATIONS: VOWELS

Please click on each vowel to see the symbol and to hear the tone variations. Please be familiarized with each vowel and the four tones. Tones in Chinese is very important because they give each the same spelling (Hanyu Pinyin) different meanings. For example: "shu" has different meanings when it carries different tones.
"shu (1)": book
"shu (2)": uncle
"shu (3)": mouse
"shu (4)": tree

If you didn't pronunce each tone correctly, you will end up with sentences such as "I have an uncle (shu 2) in the cage, it is my favorite pet" or "I carry at least three trees (shu 4) in my backpack everyday." So, try to get the tone variations correct to avoid this kind of misunderstanding. Let's work on it together!! :)

Click on the vowel category that you want to practice:

Single Vowels: Click each one to listening the pronunciation.

(u:)

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Double Vowels: Click each one to listening the pronunciation.

phonetic symbols	pronunciation	phonetic symbols	pronunciation	phonetic symbols	pronunciation	phonetic symbols	pronunciation
ai		ei		ui		ao
ou		iu		ie		u:e

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Other Vowel Combinations: Click each one to listening the pronunciation.

phonetic symbols	pronunciation	phonetic symbols	pronunciation	phonetic symbols	pronunciation	phonetic symbols	pronunciation
yi		yu		wu
er		ye		yue
an		en		in		yin
u:n		yun		yuan		ong
ang		eng		ing		ying

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Other Phonetic Symbols & their Pronunciations
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