Pinyin Chart: Complete Guide to Chinese Initials, Finals, and Tones

Pinyin has 21 initials (shengmu) that represent consonant sounds at the beginning of a syllable. Some initials look like English letters but sound completely different. Pay special attention to pairs that English speakers commonly confuse, such as b/p, d/t, and j/q.

Bilabial Sounds (b, p, m, f)

These sounds use both lips.

• b (unaspirated): sounds like 'b' in 'spin'. Example: bā (eight), bàba (father)
• p (aspirated): sounds like 'p' in 'pin'. Example: pá (climb), péngyou (friend)
• m (nasal): sounds like 'm' in 'mom'. Example: mā (mother), māo (cat)
• f (fricative): sounds like 'f' in 'fan'. Example: fā (send), fēijī (airplane)

Alveolar Sounds (d, t, n, l)

These sounds use the alveolar ridge (behind your upper front teeth).

• d (unaspirated): sounds like 'd' in 'stop'. Example: dà (big), dōu (all)
• t (aspirated): sounds like 't' in 'top'. Example: tā (he/she), tiān (sky)
• n (nasal): sounds like 'n' in 'no'. Example: nǐ (you), nán (south)
• l (lateral): sounds like 'l' in 'light'. Example: lái (come), lǎoshī (teacher)

Velar Sounds (g, k, h)

These sounds originate at the soft palate (back of your mouth).

• g (unaspirated): sounds like 'g' in 'skill'. Example: gāo (tall), guó (country)
• k (aspirated): sounds like 'k' in 'kite'. Example: kàn (look), kāfēi (coffee)
• h (fricative): sounds like 'h' in 'hat' but stronger. Example: hǎo (good), hē (drink)

Palatal Sounds (j, q, x)

These sounds use the hard palate (roof of your mouth). They are softer than their retroflex counterparts.

• j (unaspirated): sounds like 'j' in 'jeep' but softer. Example: jiā (home), jiǔ (nine)
• q (aspirated): sounds like 'ch' in 'cheap' but softer. Example: qī (seven), qù (go)
• x (fricative): sounds like 'sh' in 'she' with the tongue forward. Example: xiè (thanks), xiǎo (small)

Retroflex Sounds (zh, ch, sh, r)

These sounds require curling your tongue back. They are harder and more complex than the palatal sounds.

• zh (unaspirated): sounds like 'j' in 'judge' with tongue curled back. Example: zhōng (middle), zhīdao (know)
• ch (aspirated): sounds like 'ch' in 'church' with tongue curled back. Example: chī (eat), chá (tea)
• sh (fricative): sounds like 'sh' in 'ship' with tongue curled back. Example: shì (is), shuǐ (water)
• r (approximant): falls between English 'r' and 'zh'. Example: rén (person), rè (hot)

Alveolar Affricates (z, c, s)

These sounds use the teeth and alveolar ridge with a flat tongue (not curled back).

• z (unaspirated): sounds like 'dz' in 'kids'. Example: zài (at), zǎo (early)
• c (aspirated): sounds like 'ts' in 'cats'. Example: cài (vegetable), cóng (from)
• s (fricative): sounds like 's' in 'sun'. Example: sān (three), shuō (speak)

Pinyin finals (yunmu) are the vowel part of a syllable. They contain 6 simple vowels and numerous compounds. Some finals change their exact sound depending on which initial precedes them. Master the most important finals listed below.

Simple Finals (a, o, e, i, u, ü)

These are the basic building blocks of pinyin sounds.

• a: pronounced 'ah' like 'father'. Example: bā, dà, mā
• o: pronounced 'aw' like 'ball'. Example: bō, mò, pó
• e: pronounced 'uh' like 'duh', NOT like English 'e'. Example: gē, hē, kě
• i: pronounced 'ee' like 'see'. Example: bī, dì, jī. Note: After zh/ch/sh/r, it makes a buzzing 'r' sound. After z/c/s, it makes a buzzing 'z' sound.
• u: pronounced 'oo' like 'food'. Example: bù, gū, lù
• ü: pronounced 'ee' with rounded lips. Example: nǚ, lǜ. Written as 'u' after j/q/x (no dots needed).

Diphthongs (ai, ei, ao, ou)

These combine two vowel sounds into one syllable.

• ai: pronounced like 'eye'. Example: bái, hái, lái
• ei: pronounced like 'ay' in 'say'. Example: běi, fēi, méi
• ao: pronounced like 'ow' in 'cow'. Example: hǎo, māo, dào
• ou: pronounced like 'oh' in 'go'. Example: dōu, gǒu, yǒu

Nasal Finals (an, en, ang, eng, ong)

These finals end with a nasal sound (nose consonant).

• an: pronounced 'ahn'. Example: fàn, nán, shān
• en: pronounced 'un' like 'fun'. Example: rén, hěn, shén
• ang: pronounced 'ahng'. Example: fáng, máng, wáng
• eng: pronounced 'ung'. Example: féng, shēng, néng
• ong: pronounced 'oong'. Example: dōng, gōng, zhōng

Compound Finals (ian, iang, uan, uang)

These combine multiple vowels and often a nasal ending.

• ian: pronounced 'yen'. Example: tiān, qián, biān
• iang: pronounced 'yahng'. Example: liáng, xiǎng, yáng
• uan: pronounced 'wahn'. Example: guān, huán, wán
• uang: pronounced 'wahng'. Example: guāng, huáng, wáng

Mandarin has four main tones plus a neutral (unstressed) tone. Tones are marked above the main vowel in each pinyin syllable. The same syllable with a different tone has a completely different meaning, which is why tone accuracy matters.

First Tone (ˉ): High and Flat

Keep your voice at a consistently high pitch, as if singing a steady note. The word mā (mother) uses the first tone. Imagine holding a long, unwavering note.

Second Tone (ˊ): Rising

Your voice rises from mid to high, like asking 'What?' in surprise. The word má (hemp) uses the second tone. This tone feels like an upward curve.

Third Tone (ˇ): Dipping (Low)

Your voice dips down then rises again in textbook pronunciation. However, in natural speech, it often stays low without rising. The word mǎ (horse) uses the third tone. Most learners find this tone challenging because textbook form differs from everyday speech.

Fourth Tone (ˋ): Falling

Your voice drops sharply from high to low, like saying 'No!' firmly. The word mà (scold) uses the fourth tone. This tone feels like a downward drop.

Neutral Tone (no mark): Light and Short

Neutral tone is short and unstressed. Its pitch depends on the preceding tone. The word ma (question particle) uses neutral tone. In natural speech, this tone is often barely pronounced.

Tone Pair Practice

Practicing tone pairs helps build accuracy. For example, listen to mā (first tone) versus má (second tone) repeatedly. Notice how your voice moves differently for each. FluentFlash flashcard drills include audio tone pairs to train your ear and mouth together.

Several pinyin letters and combinations do not sound the way English speakers expect. Recognizing these traps prevents persistent pronunciation errors that can stick with you for years.

Critical Sound Distinctions

1. c = 'ts' NOT 'k': Pinyin 'c' sounds like the 'ts' in 'cats'. The word cài (vegetable) is pronounced 'tsai', not 'kai'. Many learners default to an English 'k' sound and must consciously break that habit.

2. q = 'ch' NOT 'kw': Pinyin 'q' is a light 'ch' sound. qī (seven) is pronounced 'chee', not 'kwee'. The 'q' is deceptive because it looks like it should sound like English 'kw'.

3. x = 'sh' (forward) NOT 'ks': Pinyin 'x' is a soft 'sh' with the tongue near the front of the mouth. xiè (thanks) is 'shyeh', not 'ksye'. This sound requires moving your tongue forward compared to English 'sh'.

4. zh/ch/sh vs. z/c/s: The first group is retroflex (tongue curled back and hard). The second group is flat (tongue at the teeth and soft). zhāng (surname) uses retroflex 'zh', while zāng (dirty) uses flat 'z'. This distinction is critical in standard Mandarin and changes the meaning completely.

5. ü vs. u after j, q, x: After j, q, or x, the letter 'u' is actually pronounced 'ü' (rounded 'ee'). So jū is 'jü', not 'joo'. Many pinyin systems drop the dots for simplicity in these positions, which confuses learners.

6. e = 'uh' NOT 'ee': Standalone pinyin 'e' sounds like the 'u' in 'duh'. It is not like English 'e' at all. The word bè (generation) uses this 'uh' sound, not the 'eh' sound English speakers expect.

7. -ian = 'yen' NOT 'ee-an': The final 'ian' is pronounced like 'yen' as one smooth sound. tiān (sky) is 'tyen', not 'tee-an'. Breaking it into separate syllables creates an inaccurate pronunciation.