On this page we provide a systematic approach for beginners looking to pronounce Mandarin Chinese by studying pinyin pronunciation. By following this course you will get a good grasp of the fundamentals of the pronunciation system used by speakers of Chinese.
Pinyin is a system developed by linguists to categorise spoken Mandarin Chinese. On this page we provide a complete guide to Mandarin Chinese pronunciation. Our guide is based on a video series made by the Chinese Department of Education during the Covid-19 pandemic to allow Chinese students to continue their school education at home. The series was made in Chinese and we have translated and provided notes on each section, arranging them so they are accessible to non-native Chinese learners.
Pinyin Finals Pronunciation
Chinese words are made up of a combination of initials, mostly consonants, combined with a final, mostly vowels. There are six basic vowel sounds in the pinyin pronunciation system: a, o, e, i, u and ü. There are also several finals that begin with a vowel and are then followed by a collection of vowels or consonants, for example ang, eng or iu. Below we provide a pronunciation guide, complete with a separate page for each of the finals used in Mandarin Chinese.
| a | o | e | i | u | ü |