Syllable Finals: Part 1

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Make sure you end this vowel on a clear /i/ sound (In English we typically think of this sound like "eeee").  You would think English words like "by", "high" and "why" would rhyme, but the vowel sound at then end of these words is actually shorter, so English speakers typically pronounce these Chinese syllables with an accent.  

Be sure to make the EXACT same, clear /a/ vowel sound here.  Because of the spelling, English speakers sometimes want to pronounce this the way it would be in English, in words like "man", "ran" and "can," but this is a completely different sound.  

You should note two things with this sound.  First, the "n" sound isn't made with the tongue as in the "-an" ending but is instead made in the back of the throat with the palate (say the English words "gone" and "gong" and feel the difference on that last "n" in your mouth).  Also note that when these syllables are said by themselves, you don't fully articulate the /g/ sound, you just sort of close the vowel with it. 

This is a VERY commonly mispronounced sound for English speakers.  You have to make sure you are making a very clear /a/ vowel hear, same as all the ones above.  This sound reminds English speakers of words like "now" and "how" so most will say these syllables in a way that rhymes with these English words.  If you say the English word "now" slowly, however, you will notice that it is NOT the /a/ vowel,  but actually something closer to the vowel sound in the word English word "at".  So pay close attention here.

Also, English speakers have a tendency to round the "u", meaning they curl their lips at at the end of the sound.  For this sound, MAKE SURE YOUR LIPS ARE COMPLETELY RELAXED AND STILL.  If you need to, use a mirror to make sure your lips are not moving at all.  

By itself, the "e" final creates its own unique sound. What's most important is that the tongue is retracted very BACK. You can actually form the sound by pronouncing "w" and then spreading your lips back without changing the position of your tongue. Listen closely to the audio and try your best to mimic the sound.

This sound is similar to that of the English "hey", except that in Mandarin you actually vocalize that "eee" sound (in English we make shorter "i" vowel sound and emphasize the /e/ vowel instead).  Just make sure you emphasize that "beiiiiiiii" sound at the end, since English speakers typically fail to do this.

This sound is similar to that of the word "fun," except that in English the we hold the "uh" sound for a lot longer.  In mandarin, the vowel is shorter and lot more weight is on the /n/ sound.  

Same sound as above, except the /n/ sound (made with the tongue) is replaced by the palatal sound (like in the word "rung").

Once you are familiar with all the above Mandarin vowel sounds and their pinyin spellings, you can move on to the next section.

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