Wikipedia key to pronunciation of Cantonese
The following tables list the International phonetic Alphabet used for Cantonese . Refer to {{ IPAc-yue }} for a template converting Jyutping to IPA.
Initial consonants[ i]
IPA
J
Y
Examples[ ii]
f
f
[jɐt̚˥ ŋam˨˩ jɐt̚˥ f ɐt̚˥]
h
h
[lej˨˩ h ɔŋ˨˩ lej˨˩ lat̚˨]
j
j
y[ iii]
[fɐt̚˨ tɔw˥ j ɐw˨˧ fɔ˨˥]
k
g
[maj˨˧ siw˨˥ k in˧ siw˨˥]
kʰ
k
[kʰ ɛ˨˩ ŋɐw˨˩ wɐn˨˥ ma˨˧]
kʷ
gw
[mɔŋ˨ tʰin˥ ta˨˥ kʷ a˧]
kʷʰ
kw
[kʷʰ ɛn˨˩ maj˨˩]
l
l
[fat̚˧ l ɔŋ˥ l ɐj˨˥]
m
m
[lɵɥ˨ jɐn˨˩ lɵɥ˨ m ɐt̚˨]
n
n
[mej˨ jɐw˨˧ n ɔj˨˥]
ŋ
ng
[taj˨ ŋ ɔn˥ tsi˨˥ ji˨˧]
p
b
[tsa˧ sɔ˨˩ p an˨ mʊŋ˨˥]
pʰ
p
[jɐt̚˥ pʰ ɔw˥ tsʰɪŋ˥ tɔj˨˥]
s [ iv]
s
[lɔk̚˨ s ɐw˨˥ lɔk̚˨ kœk̚˧]
t
d
[mɐn˥ t ɔw˥ fɐn˧]
tʰ
t
[hɔw˨˥ hɔw˨˥ tʰ ɐj˨˥ tʰ ɐj˨˥]
ts [ v]
z
j
[lin˨ ts ɛŋ˥ hɔk̚˨ lan˨˧]
tsʰ [ vi]
c
ch
[mɔw˨˩ tsʰ ɪŋ˨˩ pak̚˨ si˨]
w
w
[w a˨ tɐk̚˥ maj˨˩]
Vocalic finals[ i]
IPA
J
Y
Examples[ ii]
a
aa
a
[ŋɔn˥ lɔk̚˨ tsʰa ˨˩ fan˨]
a j [ vii]
aai
[jɐn˨˩ sɐj˧ kʷɐj˨˥ taj ˨]
a w [ vii]
aau
[lɔw˨˧ maw ˥ siw˥ sɔw˥]
ɛ
e
[fɔ˨˥ tsɛ ˥ ŋan˨˧]
e j [ vii]
ei
[lɐm˨˩ mej ˨˧ hœŋ˥]
ɐ j [ vii]
ai
[tsɐt̚˨ tʰɐw˨˩ tsɐt̚˨ sɐj ˧]
ɐ w [ vii]
au
[ŋan˧ tsɐw ˧]
i
i
[tɪŋ˨ si ˨˩ tɪŋ˨ hɐw˨]
i w [ vii]
iu
[tiw ˧ jɐn˨˧]
ɔ
o
[tsɔw˨ mɔ ˨ sɐm˥]
œ
oe
eu
[kœ ˧ pʰa˨˥]
ɔ j [ vii]
oi
[pɔ˥ lɔ˨˩ kɔj ˧]
ɔ w [ vii]
ou
[tsɔw ˨ hɔw ˨˥ tsɔw ˨ tsʰɐw˨˥]
ɵ ɥ [ viii] [ vii]
eoi
eui
[jɐm˨˥ paw˨˥ sɪk̚˨ tsɵɥ ˧]
u
u
[ku ˥ mɐt̚˨ lɵn˨]
u j
ui
[muj ˨˩ fa˥ kan˧ tsʊk̚˥]
y
yu
[mɔk̚˥ kʷɔŋ˥ tsy ˥]
Nasal finals[ i]
IPA
J
Y
Examples[ ii]
-m
m̩
m
[pun˨˥ tej˨ kœŋ˥ m̩ ˨˩ lat̚˨]
a m
aam
[ŋam ˨˩ tsʰam ˨˩]
ɐ m
am
[jɐm ˨˥ tʰɐw˨˩ tam˨ tʰɔŋ˥]
i m
im
[tsim ˥ hɔn˨˩ tsim ˥ tʊŋ˧]
-n
a n
aan
[mej˨˩ tsɪŋ˥ ŋan ˨˧ kʰej˨˧]
ɐ n
an
[jɐw˨˧ mɐn ˨˩ jɐw˨˧ lɔw˨]
i n
in
[lɐj˨˧ ji˥ pin ˥]
ɵ n [ viii]
eon
eun
[nɐw˨˥ tsɵn ˨ lʊk̚˨ jɐm˨˩]
ɔ n
on
[fat̚˧ tsʰin˨˥ hɔn ˨˩]
u n
un
[mɔ˨˥ mun ˨˩ tɛŋ˥]
y n
yun
[ŋan˨˧ jyn ˥]
-ŋ
ŋ̍
ng
[ŋ̍ ˨˧ ŋ̍ ˨˧ pɔ˥]
a ŋ
aang
[haŋ ˨˩ tsʰa˥ tap̚˨ tsʰɔ˧]
ɐ ŋ
ang
[tsɐŋ ˨ hɪŋ˧]
ɛ ŋ
eng
[fɐn˧ lɐj˨˥ kɛŋ ˨˥]
ɪ ŋ
ing
[tsi˥ tsi˥ tsɪŋ ˨˥ tsɪŋ ˨˥]
ɔ ŋ
ong
[mɔw˨˧ sɐm˥ tsɔŋ ˥ tsɔj˧]
œ ŋ
oeng
eung
[jim˨˩ mɛŋ˨ tsʰœŋ ˨˩]
ʊ ŋ
ung
[kan˧ tsʊŋ ˥]
Checked finals[ i]
IPA
J
Y
Examples[ ii]
-p̚
a p̚
aap
[mɔw˨˧ tap̚ ˧ sap̚ ˧]
ɐ p̚
ap
[lɔk̚˨ jy˨˧ si˥ sɐp̚ ˥]
i p̚
ip
[tip̚ ˨ maj˨˩ sɐm˥ sɵɥ˨˥]
-t̚
a t̚
aat
[lat̚ ˨ tʰat̚ ˧]
ɐ t̚
at
[tɔŋ˨ sɐt̚ ˥ lɔw˨]
i t̚
it
[pɔk̚˨ tsʰit̚ ˥ tsʰit̚ ˥]
ɵ t̚ [ viii]
eot
eut
[tsɵt̚ ˥ tsi˥]
ɔ t̚
ot
[hɔt̚ ˧ si˨˧]
u t̚
ut
[ŋan˨˧ fut̚ ˧ tʰɔw˨˧ tsak̚˧]
y t̚
yut
[wat̚˨ lyt̚ ˥ lyt̚ ˥]
-k̚
a k̚
aak
[mej˨˩ tʰɐw˨˩ ŋan˨˧ ŋak̚ ˨]
ɐ k̚
ak
[jɐt̚˥ jɐt̚˨ tɔw˧ hɐk̚ ˥]
ɛ k̚
ek
[mɔ˨˩ lan˨ tsɛk̚ ˨]
ɪ k̚
ik
[tɪk̚̚ ˥ hej˨˥ sɐm˥ kɔn˥]
œ k̚
oek
euk
[tsɔw˨˥ tsɐw˨˥ tsɔw˨˥ tsœk̚ ˨]
ɔ k̚
ok
[tɔw˨˥ tsʰin˨˥ lɔk̚ ˨ hɔj˨˥]
ʊ k̚
uk
[pʊk̚ ˨ ji˥ jɐn˥]
Tones[ ix]
IPA
Numeric contours
Tonal categories
J
Y
Examples[ ii]
˥
55
陰平
◌1
ū
[tɪŋ˨˥ sɐm˥ tɪŋ˨˥ fɐj˧]
˨˥
25
陰上
◌2
ú
[wɐj˥ sɵɥ˨˥ si˨˥ ]
˧
33
陰去
◌3
u
[lʊŋ˥ lʊŋ˥ la˧ la˧ ]
˨˩
21
陽平
◌4
ùh
[jim˨˩ tsʰin˨˥ sɛŋ˥]
˨˧
23
陽上
◌5
úh
[mɔw˨˧ ŋa˨˧ tse˥ tʰɐw˨˩]
˨
22
陽去
◌6
uh
[wa˨ tʰɐw˨˩ sɪŋ˨˥ mej˨˧]
^ a b c d This list of consonant inventories and vowel inventories are based on 香港粵語大詞典 (2018).[ 1] The transcriptions of vowels, consonants and tones in IPA, Jyutping (J) and Yale romanization (Y) are based on Cantonese: A Comprehensive Grammar, 2nd ed. (2011)[ 2] and 香港粵語大詞典 (2018).
^ a b c d e Glosses are displayed over the dotted line. (Instructions: for desktop computers, hover your mouse cursor over it; for iOS mobile browsers, request desktop website on your toolbar and then click on the dotted line; for Android mobile browsers, it is unavailable). Vocabulary examples are drawn from 香港粵語大詞典 (2018).[ 3]
^ Omitted when it precedes the nucleus [y].
^ [s ] appears as [ʃ ] in other sources.[ 1] [ 2]
^ [ts ] appears as [tʃ ] in other sources.[ 1] [ 2]
^ [tsʰ ] appears as [tʃʰ ] in other sources.[ 1] [ 2]
^ a b c d e f g h i The gliding non-syllables may be less explicitly transcribed with syllables, such that the non-syllabic [j ] represented as syllabic [i ] , [w ] as [u ] , and [ɥ ] as [y ] .
^ a b c [ɵ ] appears as [ø ] in other sources.[ 1] [ 2]
^ The so-called 7th, 8th and 9th tones are not officially marked as such in Jyutping (J)[ 2] and Yale romanization (Y).[ 1] They are officially marked as the 1st, 3rd and 6th tones respectively.[ 1]
^ a b c d e f g 張勵妍; 倪列懷; 潘禮美 (2018). 香港粵語大詞典 . Hong Kong: 天地圖書. p. 648-650.
^ a b c d e f Matthews, Stephen; Yip, Virginia (2011). Cantonese: A Comprehensive Grammar, 2nd edition . New York: Routledge. p. 461-463.
^ 張勵妍; 倪列懷; 潘禮美 (2018). 香港粵語大詞典 . Hong Kong: 天地圖書. p. 41-622.
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