|
Vowels
|
---|
IPA |
Pinyin |
Bopomofo |
English approximation
|
---|
[a] |
a (a, an) |
ㄚ, ㄢ
|
Somewhat like car
| aɪ |
ai |
ㄞ
|
time
| [ɑ] |
a (ang), e (er) |
ㄤ, ㄦ
|
car
| ɑʊ |
ao |
ㄠ
|
how
| eɪ |
ei[2] |
ㄟ
|
hey
| [ɛ] |
e (ye), a (yan, yuan) |
ㄝ,ㄧㄢ , ㄩㄢ
|
yes
| [œ] |
e (yue) |
ㄩㄝ
|
No English equivalent; Rounded [ɛ]
| [ə] |
e (en[2], eng) |
ㄣ, ㄥ
|
about
| [ɤ] |
e |
ㄜ
|
Somewhat like hood
| [i] |
yi/-i (yi, yin, ying) |
ㄧ
|
see
| ɨ
|
i (si, zi, ci, shi, zhi, chi, ri) (buzzing)[3] |
ㄭ
| oʊ |
ou[2] |
ㄡ
|
hoe
| [ɔ] |
o (wo[4]) |
ㄛ
|
war
| [u] |
wu/-u |
ㄨ
|
woo
| [ʊ] |
o (ong) |
ㄨㄥ
|
hood
| [y] |
yu/-ü[1] (yu, yun) |
ㄩ
|
Somewhat like cute
| Nasal[5] |
---|
ɑ̃
|
ang (angr) |
|
No English equivalent; nasal [ɑ]
| ə̃
|
eng (engr) |
|
No English equivalent; nasal [ə]
| ʊ̃
|
ong (ongr) |
|
No English equivalent. Nasal [ʊ]
|
IPA
|
Pinyin
|
Description
|
---|
Tones
|
---|
ǎ ɤ̌
|
á, é
|
mid rising: ˧˥
| â ɤ̂
|
à, è
|
high falling: ˥˩
| á ɤ́
|
ā, ē
|
high: ˥
| à, ɤ̀
|
ǎ, ě
|
medially, low: ˩ initially, mid falling: ˧˩ finally, low rising: ˩˧ in isolation, dipping: ˧˩˧
| a, ɤ
|
a, e
|
"toneless": low after a falling tone [â]; mid after all other tones
|
|