Chinese Vowels
As a language, Chinese is a combination of spelling and pronunciation. The language itself is divided into dialects that do not have much in common with each other. The way in which a word is spoken determines the very meaning of that word, so understanding pronunciation is vital to being successful in speaking Chinese. The following is a key to the pronunciation of Chinese vowels in Putonghua, which based on the Mandarin dialect and the alphabet that is used with this division Chinese is Pinyin. This combination is the official language of China and is the one within which the government communicates. Any exceptions that deal with the pronunciation of these Chinese vowels have also been included.
a ei (“a” as in “car” of “father”)
e, ę yi (“schwa”-pronounced like the French e without
the accent mark. If the “e” is a single vowel
at the end of a syllable as in “de,” it is
pronounced like “bird” or “stir”)
i /yi ŕi (“i” in “sit” and “machine.” “Yi” is used
when there is no consonant present in the
first syllable of the word. When “I” follows
“c,” “s,” or “z”, it is pronounced “ziii”
like a buzzing sound. If the syllable is
“chi,” “shi,” “zhi,” and “ri,” you should
pronounce the syllable with your tongue
curled back.)
o ó (Sounds like the “ah” in “saw” and “tall.”)
u/wu yi/wú (Sounds like the “o” in “too” and “scoop.” “wu” is used when there is no vowel present in the first
symbol of the word. When the syllable begins with “ju,” “qu,” “yu,” or “yu,” it is pronounced like the "ü" in French.)
u / yu yi/wú (“yeee”-You place your tongue to say “yeee’while you form your mouth to say “yuuu.” Sounds like the German "ü.”)
While these are the basic rules when using Chinese vowels, there are also a number of vowel combinations that can change the pronunciations of these letters. Here are a few of these combinations:
ai (“eye”)
ei ("ay as in "hay")
ao (“ou” as in “couch”)
ou (“oa” as in “coach”)
yi (“”ee’ as in “eel”)
Certain Chinese vowels are pronounced differently when combined with certain consonants. Some of these exceptions are :
an (sounds like the “a” in “car + “n.”)
en (sounds like the French “schwa” + “n”)
ang (sounds like the “a” in “car” + “ng”)
eng (sounds like the French “schwa” + “ng.”)
er (sounds like the French “schwa” + “r.”)
As you can see, the pronunciation of Chinese vowels can be a little complicated. The best way in which to learn this language properly is to take Chinese lessons, either in a school setting or online. You could also purchase one of the many language software programs that are now available. These programs have proven to be an effective method in which to learn the Chinese language in the shortest amount of time possible. The best way in which to learn these difficult pronunciations is to have the ability to listen to them for yourself. These programs can give you just such an opportunity.