|
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
|
|