| | Vowels |
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| IPA | Pinyin | Wade–Giles | Bopomofo | Chinese example | English approximation |
|---|
| a | a | ㄚ,ㄢ | 阿,安 | plastic (UK Received Pronunciation) | | er | êrh | ㄦ | 二,兒(儿) | | ɑ | yang/-iang | ㄤ | 亮 | farther | | ɛ | yan/-ian | yen/-ien | ㄧㄢ | 言 | set | | yuan/-üan | ㄩㄢ | 元 | | e | ye/-ie, yue/-üe | eh | ㄝ | 也,月 | hey | | ə | en,[d]eng | ên,êng | ㄣ,ㄥ | 本,冷 | atop | | ɚ | er | êrh | ㄦ | 二,兒(儿) | furry[e] | | ɤ | e | ê / o[f] | ㄜ | 厄,餓 | between bush and but | | o | wo/-uo[g] | o[h] | ㄛ | 果,我 | story | | i | yi/-i | ㄧ | 李 | city | | ɻ̩ | zhi, chi, shi, ri | ih | ㄭ[i] | 之,吃,師(师),日 | Below, but withtongue curled or pulled back[j] | | ɹ̩ | zi, ci, si | ŭ | 子,次,私 | roses, cousin | | u | wu/-u | ㄨ | 土 | cool | | ʊ | -ong | -ung | ㄨㄥ,ㄩㄥ | 冬,用 | book | | y | yu/-ü[c] | yü/-ü | ㄩ | 雨 | refute, beet, but with the lips rounded as for boot | | Diphthongs |
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| aɪ | ai | ㄞ | 艾 | time | | aʊ | ao | ㄠ | 凹 | cow | | eɪ | ei[d] | ㄟ | 杯 | face | | oʊ | ou[d] | ㄡ | 又,狗,歐(欧) | goal or go (modern UK), realized with or without backing |
| Tones |
|---|
| IPA | Pinyin | Wade–Giles | Bopomofo | Chinese example | Tone number | Description |
|---|
| á | ā | a1 | ㄚ | 巴/bāⓘ | tone 1 | high level[˥] | | ǎ | á | a2 | ㄚˊ | 拔/拔/báⓘ | tone 2 | mid rising[˧˥] | | à | ǎ | a3 | ㄚˇ | 把/bǎⓘ | tone 3 | medially, low[˩]; initially, mid falling[˧˩]; finally, low rising[˩˧]; in isolation, dipping[˧˩˧] | | â | à | a4 | ㄚˋ | 爸/bàⓘ | tone 4 | high falling[˥˩] | | a | a | a0 | ˙ㄚ | 吧/baⓘ | tone 0 or 5 (toneless) | mid[˧] after all tones but 4, where it is low[˩] | | Note: Pinyin uses three of the same diacritics as IPA but with different values. |
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