The charts below show the way in which the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) represents Cantonese pronunciations in Wikipedia articles. For a guide to adding IPA characters to Wikipedia articles, see {{IPA-yue}}, {{IPAc-yue}} and Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Pronunciation § Entering IPA characters.
 | This is the pronunciation key for IPA transcriptions of Cantonese on Wikipedia.It provides a set of symbols to represent the pronunciation of Cantonese in Wikipedia articles, and example words that illustrate the sounds that correspond to them. Integrity must be maintained between the key and the transcriptions that link here; do not change any symbol or value without establishing consensus on the talk page first. | |
Wikipedia key to pronunciation of Cantonese
See Cantonese phonology for a more thorough look at the sounds of Cantonese.
IPA | Yale | Jyutping | Character | English approximation |
Nonsyllabic consonants |
p |
syllable-initial b |
幫 |
span |
pʰ |
syllable-initial p |
滂 |
pan |
m |
m |
明 |
moon |
f |
f |
非 |
fan |
t |
syllable-initial d |
端 |
stand |
tʰ |
syllable-initial t |
透 |
tan |
n |
n |
泥 |
noon |
l |
l |
來 |
leaf |
ts[1] |
j | z |
精 |
cats |
tsʰ[2] |
ch | c |
清 |
cats hissing |
s |
s |
心 |
saw |
k |
syllable-initial g |
見 |
scan |
kʰ |
syllable-initial k |
溪 |
can |
kʷ |
gw[3] |
古 |
squeak |
kʷʰ |
kw[4] |
困 |
quick |
ŋ |
ng |
我 |
singing |
h |
h |
曉 |
house |
j |
y | j |
以 |
you |
w |
w |
云 |
water |
p̚ |
syllable-final p |
濕 |
apt |
t̚ |
syllable-final t |
失 |
Atkins |
k̚ |
syllable-final k |
識 |
doctor |
Syllabic consonants |
m̩ |
m |
唔 |
rhythm |
ŋ̩ ŋ̍ |
ng[5] |
五 |
(syllabic ng) |
All non-syllabic consonants except [p̚, t̚, k̚] may begin a syllable, but some speakers don't have initial [n, ŋ].[6] The six non-syllabic consonants [p̚, t̚, k̚, m, n, ŋ] may end a syllable.[7] |
IPA |
Yale | Jyutping | Character | English approximation |
Vowels |
aː |
aa, syllable-final a | aa |
亞 |
father (Australian English) |
aːi |
aai |
界 |
time |
aːu |
aau |
交 |
how |
ɐ |
non-syllable-final a | a |
甩 |
cut |
ɐi |
ai |
矮 |
Canadian price (see Canadian Raising) |
ɐu |
au |
歐 |
Canadian clout (see Canadian Raising) |
ɛː |
e |
些 |
yes |
ei |
ei |
悲 |
hey |
ɛːu |
— | eu |
掉[8] |
roughly like yeah well |
e/ɪ |
i before k or ng |
色 |
sick |
œː |
eu before k or ng or syllable-finally | oe |
靴 |
roughly like fur in British English; fleuve in French |
ɵy |
eui | eoi |
去 |
No English equivalent; like Japanese koi but rounded even at the end |
ɵ |
eu before n or t | eo |
出 |
roughly like again but rounded |
ɔː |
o |
我 |
law |
ɔːy |
oi |
哀 |
roughly like boy |
ou |
ou |
奧 |
hoe (American English) |
o/ʊ |
u before k or ng |
福 |
look |
iː |
i |
意 |
see |
iːu |
iu |
橋 |
roughly like few |
yː |
non-syllable-initial yu[9] | yu |
於 |
No English equivalent; menu in French |
uː |
u |
烏 |
food |
uːy |
ui |
回 |
roughly like phooey |
IPA |
Yale | Jyutping | Tone number | Character | Description |
Tones |
siː˥ |
55 |
síː |
sī | si1[10] |
1 |
詩 |
high level |
siː˥˧ |
53 |
sîː |
sì |
1b (7) |
絲 |
high falling |
siː˧˥ |
35 |
sǐː |
sí | si2 |
2 |
史 |
mid rising |
siː˧ |
33 |
sīː |
si | si3 |
3 |
試 |
mid level |
siː˨˩ siː˩ |
21 11 |
si̭ː sȉː |
sìh | si4 |
4 |
時 |
low falling or very low |
siː˨˧ siː˩˧ |
23 13 |
si̬ː |
síh | si5 |
5 |
市 |
low rising or very low risinɡ |
siː˨ |
22 |
sìː |
sih | si6 |
6 |
是 |
low level |
piːt̚˥ |
5 |
píːt̚ |
bīt | bit1 |
7 (1) |
必 |
high checked |
siːt̚˧ |
3 |
sīːt̚ |
sit | sit3 |
8 (3) |
薛 |
mid checked |
siːt̚˨ |
2 |
sìːt̚ |
siht | sit6 |
9 (6) |
蝕 |
low checked |
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