Have you ever wondered how to pronounce a Chinese name like Ding Junhui (snooker player). It's "ding joon-hway", not "ding june-wee" or similar, or the Chinese president's: Xi Jinping... It's "sshee jin-ping", not "zee" or "zeye" "jin-ping". See below for easy help with pronouncing Chinese (minus tones)... See more on Chinese names.
There are only 413 syllables in common use, which represent thousands of Chinese characters. See below for an instant reference between the pinyin (left) and intuitive English pronunciation (right) for each syllable. Over half of pinyin is pronounced as you'd expect, but that leaves about half that isn't...
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The pronunciation for pinyin doesn’t usually vary with tone, so tone markers aren't shown here. There are 4 exceptions however. When pinyin de, ge, ne and zi have tones 1 to 4 they are pronounced “der”, “ger”, “ner” and “dzrr” respectively, but when they have a light tone (tone 5) they are pronounced “duh” “guh”, “nuh” and “dzuh” respectively.
| a | ah |
| ai | eye |
| an | an |
| ang | ung |
| ao | ao |
| ba | bah |
| bai | buy |
| ban | ban |
| bang | bung |
| bao | bao |
| bei | bay |
| ben | bnn |
| beng | bnng |
| bi | bee |
| bian | byen |
| biao | byao |
| bie | byeah |
| bin | bin |
| bing | bing |
| bo | bor |
| bu | boo |
| ca | tsah |
| cai | tseye |
| can | tsan |
| cang | tsung |
| cao | tsao |
| ce | tser |
| cei | tsay |
| cen | tsnn |
| ceng | tsnng |
| cha | chah |
| chai | cheye |
| chan | chan |
| chang | chung |
| chao | chao |
| che | cher |
| chen | chnn |
| cheng | chnng |
| chi | chrr |
| chong | chong |
| chou | choh |
| chu | choo |
| chua | chwah |
| chuai | chwhy |
| chuan | chwan |
| chuang | chwung |
| chui | chway |
| chun | chwnn |
| chuo | chwor |
| ci | tsrr |
| cong | tsong |
| cou | tsoh |
| cu | tsoo |
| cuan | tswan |
| cui | tsway |
| cun | tswnn |
| cuo | tswor |
| da | dah |
| dai | deye |
| dan | dan |
| dang | dung |
| dao | dao |
| de1-4 | der |
| de5 | duh |
| dei | day |
| den | dnn |
| deng | dnng |
| di | dee |
| dian | dyen |
| diao | dyao |
| die | dyeah |
| ding | ding |
| diu | dyoh |
| dong | dong |
| dou | doh |
| du | doo |
| duan | dwan |
| dui | dway |
| dun | dwnn |
| duo | dwor |
| e | er |
| ei | ay |
| en | nn |
| er | urr |
| fa | fah |
| fan | fan |
| fang | fung |
| fei | fay |
| fen | fnn |
| feng | fnng |
| fo | for |
| fou | foh |
| fu | foo |
| ga | gah |
| gai | geye |
| gan | gan |
| gang | gung |
| gao | gao |
| ge1-4 | ger |
| ge5 | guh |
| gei | gay |
| gen | gnn |
| geng | gnng |
| gong | gong |
| gou | go |
| gu | goo |
| gua | gwah |
| guai | gwhy |
| guan | gwan |
| guang | gwung |
| gui | gway |
| gun | gwnn |
| guo | gwor |
| ha | hah |
| hai | hi |
| han | han |
| hang | hung |
| hao | hao |
| he | her |
| hei | hay |
| hen | hnn |
| heng | hnng |
| hm | hmm |
| hng | hng |
| hong | hong |
| hou | hoh |
| hu | hoo |
| hua | hwah |
| huai | hwhy |
| huan | hwan |
| huang | hwung |
| hui | hway |
| hun | hwnn |
| huo | hwor |
| ji | jee |
| jia | jyah |
| jian | jyen |
| jiang | jyang |
| jiao | jyao |
| jie | jyeah |
| jin | jin |
| jing | jing |
| jiong | jyong |
| jiu | jyoh |
| ju | jyoo |
| juan | jwen |
| jue | jwhere |
| jun | jwnn |
| ka | kah |
| kai | keye |
| kan | kan |
| kang | kung |
| kao | kao |
| ke | ker |
| kei | kay |
| ken | knn |
| keng | knng |
| kong | kong |
| kou | koh |
| ku | koo |
| kua | kwah |
| kuai | kwhy |
| kuan | kwan |
| kuang | kwung |
| kui | kway |
| kun | kwnn |
| kuo | kwor |
| lv | lyoo |
| la | lah |
| lai | leye |
| lan | lan |
| lang | lung |
| lao | lao |
| le | ler |
| lve | lyouair |
| lei | lay |
| leng | lnng |
| li | lee |
| lia | lyah |
| lian | lyen |
| liang | lyang |
| liao | lyao |
| lie | lyeah |
| lin | lin |
| ling | ling |
| liu | lyoh |
| long | long |
| lou | loh |
| lu | loo |
| luan | lwan |
| lun | lwnn |
| luo | lwor |
| m | mm |
| ma | mah |
| mai | meye |
| man | man |
| mang | mung |
| mao | mao |
| me | muh |
| mei | may |
| men | mnn |
| meng | mnng |
| mi | mee |
| mian | myen |
| miao | myao |
| mie | myeah |
| min | min |
| ming | ming |
| miu | myoo |
| mo | mor |
| mou | moh |
| mu | moo |
| n | nn |
| nv | nyoo |
| na | nah |
| nai | neye |
| nan | nan |
| nang | nanng |
| nao | nao |
| ne1-4 | ner |
| ne5 | nuh |
| nve | nyouair |
| nei | nay |
| nen | nnn |
| neng | nung |
| ng | nng |
| ni | nee |
| nian | nyen |
| niang | nyang |
| niao | nyao |
| nie | nyeah |
| nin | neen |
| ning | ning |
| niu | nyoh |
| nong | nong |
| nou | noh |
| nu | noo |
| nuan | nwan |
| nuo | nwor |
| o | or |
| ou | oh |
| pa | pah |
| pai | peye |
| pan | pan |
| pang | pung |
| pao | pao |
| pei | pay |
| pen | pnn |
| peng | pnng |
| pi | pee |
| pian | pyen |
| piao | pyao |
| pie | pyeah |
| pin | pin |
| ping | ping |
| po | por |
| pou | poh |
| pu | poo |
| qi | chee |
| qia | chyah |
| qian | chyan |
| qiang | chyang |
| qiao | chyao |
| qie | chyeah |
| qin | chin |
| qing | ching |
| qiong | chyong |
| qiu | chyoh |
| qu | chyoo |
| quan | chwen |
| que | chwhere |
| qun | chwnn |
| ran | ran |
| rang | rung |
| rao | rao |
| re | rer |
| ren | rnn |
| reng | rnng |
| ri | rrr |
| rong | rong |
| rou | roh |
| ru | roo |
| rua | rwah |
| ruan | rwan |
| rui | rway |
| run | rwnn |
| ruo | rwor |
| sa | sah |
| sai | seye |
| san | san |
| sang | sung |
| sao | sao |
| se | ser |
| sei | say |
| sen | snn |
| seng | snng |
| sha | shah |
| shai | sheye |
| shan | shan |
| shang | shung |
| shao | shao |
| she | sher |
| shei | shay |
| shen | shnn |
| sheng | shnng |
| shi | shrr |
| shou | shoh |
| shu | shoo |
| shua | shwah |
| shuai | shwhy |
| shuan | shwan |
| shuang | shwung |
| shui | shway |
| shun | shwnn |
| shuo | shwor |
| si | srr |
| song | song |
| sou | soh |
| su | soo |
| suan | swann |
| sui | sway |
| sun | swnn |
| suo | swor |
| ta | tah |
| tai | teye |
| tan | tan |
| tang | tung |
| tao | tao |
| te | ter |
| teng | tnng |
| ti | tee |
| tian | tyen |
| tiao | tyao |
| tie | tyeah |
| ting | ting |
| tong | tong |
| tou | toh |
| tu | too |
| tuan | twan |
| tui | tway |
| tun | twnn |
| tuo | twor |
| wa | wah |
| wai | why |
| wan | wan |
| wang | wung |
| wei | way |
| wen | wnn |
| weng | wnng |
| wo | wor |
| wu | woo |
| xi | sshee |
| xia | sshyah |
| xian | sshyen |
| xiang | sshyang |
| xiao | sshyao |
| xie | sshyeah |
| xin | sshin |
| sshing | |
| xiong | sshyong |
| xiu | sshyoh |
| xu | sshyoo |
| xuan | sshywen |
| xue | sshyouair |
| xun | sshwnn |
| ya | yah |
| yan | yen |
| yang | yang |
| yao | yao |
| ye | yeah |
| yi | ee |
| yin | yin |
| ying | ying |
| yong | yong |
| you | yoh |
| yu | yoo |
| yuan | ywhen |
| yue | yhwere |
| yun | ywnn |
| za | dzah |
| zai | dzeye |
| zan | dzan |
| zang | dzung |
| zao | dzao |
| ze | dzer |
| zei | dzay |
| zen | dznn |
| zeng | dznng |
| zha | jar |
| zhai | jeye |
| zhan | jan |
| zhang | jung |
| zhao | jao |
| zhe | jer |
| zhei | jay |
| zhen | jnn |
| zheng | jnng |
| zhi | jrr |
| zhong | jong |
| zhou | joh |
| zhu | joo |
| zhua | jwah |
| zhuai | jwhy |
| zhuan | jwan |
| zhuang | jwung |
| zhui | jway |
| zhun | jwnn |
| zhuo | jwor |
| zi1–4 | dzrr |
| zi5 | dzuh |
| zong | dzong |
| zou | dzoh |
| zuan | dzwan |
| zui | dzway |
| zun | dzwnn |
| zuo | dzwor |
| zu | dzoo |
