Editing Mandarin Chinese (section)

===Initials===
The maximal inventory of initials of a Mandarin dialect is as follows, with bracketed pinyin spellings given for those present in the standard language:{{sfnp|Norman|1988|pp=139–141, 192–193}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; margin:1em auto 1em auto"
|-
!
! [[Labial consonant|Labial]]
! [[Apical consonant|Apical]]
! [[Retroflex consonant|Retroflex]]
! [[Alveolo-palatal consonant|Palatal]]
! [[Velar consonant|Velar]]
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[Stop consonant|Stops]]
| {{IPAslink|p}} {{angle bracket|b}}
| {{IPAslink|t}} {{angle bracket|d}}
|
|
| {{IPAslink|k}} {{angle bracket|g}}
|-
| {{IPAslink|pʰ}} {{angle bracket|p}}
| {{IPAslink|tʰ}} {{angle bracket|t}}
|
|
| {{IPAslink|kʰ}} {{angle bracket|k}}
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[Affricate consonant|Affricates]]
|
| {{IPAslink|t͡s}} {{angle bracket|z}}
| {{IPAslink|ʈ͡ʂ}} {{angle bracket|zh}}
| {{IPAslink|t͡ɕ}} {{angle bracket|j}}
|
|-
|
| {{IPAslink|t͡sʰ}} {{angle bracket|c}}
| {{IPAslink|ʈ͡ʂʰ}} {{angle bracket|ch}}
| {{IPAslink|t͡ɕʰ}} {{angle bracket|q}}
|
|-
! [[Fricative consonant|Fricatives]]
| {{IPAslink|f}} {{angle bracket|f}}
| {{IPAslink|s}} {{angle bracket|s}}
| {{IPAslink|ʂ}} {{angle bracket|sh}}
| {{IPAslink|ɕ}} {{angle bracket|x}}
| {{IPAslink|x}} {{angle bracket|h}}
|-
! [[Nasal consonant|Nasals]]
| {{IPAslink|m}} {{angle bracket|m}}
| {{IPAslink|n}} {{angle bracket|n}}
|
|
| {{IPAslink|ŋ}} &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
|-
! [[Approximant]]s
| {{IPAslink|w}} {{angle bracket|w}}
| {{IPAslink|l}} {{angle bracket|l}}
| {{IPAslink|ɻ}} ~ {{IPAslink|ʐ}} {{angle bracket|r}}
| {{IPAslink|j}} {{angle bracket|y}}
|
|}

* Most Mandarin-speaking areas distinguish between the retroflex initials {{IPA|/ʈʂ ʈʂʰ ʂ/}} from the apical sibilants {{IPA|/ts tsʰ s/}}, though they often have a different distribution than in the standard language.  In most dialects of the southeast and southwest the retroflex initials have merged with the alveolar sibilants, so that ''zhi'' becomes ''zi'', ''chi'' becomes ''ci'', and ''shi'' becomes ''si''.{{sfnp|Norman|1988|p=193}}
* The alveolo-palatal sibilants {{IPA|/tɕ tɕʰ ɕ/}} are the result of merger between the historical palatalized velars {{IPA|/kj kʰj xj/}} and palatalized alveolar sibilants {{IPA|/tsj tsʰj sj/}}.{{sfnp|Norman|1988|p=193}} In about 20% of dialects, the alveolar sibilants did not palatalize, remaining separate from the alveolo-palatal initials. (The unique pronunciation used in [[Peking opera]] falls into this category.) On the other side, in some dialects of eastern [[Shandong]], the velar initials did not undergo palatalization.
* Many southwestern Mandarin dialects mix {{IPA|/f/}} and {{IPA|/xw/}}, substituting one for the other in some or all cases.{{sfnp|Norman|1988|p=192}} For example, ''fei'' {{IPA|/fei/}} "to fly" and ''hui'' {{IPA|/xwei/}} "grey" may be merged in these areas.
* In some dialects, initial {{IPA|/l/}} and {{IPA|/n/}} are not distinguished. In Southwestern Mandarin, these sounds usually merge to {{IPA|/n/}}; in Lower Yangtze Mandarin, they usually merge to {{IPA|/l/}}.{{sfnp|Norman|1988|p=192}}
* People in many Mandarin-speaking areas may use different initial sounds where Beijing uses initial ''r-'' {{IPA|/ɻ/}}. Common variants include {{IPA|/j/}}, {{IPA|/l/}}, {{IPA|/n/}} and {{IPA|/w/}}.{{sfnp|Norman|1988|p=193}}
* Some dialects have initial {{IPA|/ŋ/}} corresponding to the zero initial of the standard language.{{sfnp|Norman|1988|p=193}}  This initial is the result of a merger of the Middle Chinese zero initial with {{IPA|/ŋ/}} and {{IPA|/ʔ/}}.
* Many dialects of Northwestern and Central Plains Mandarin have {{IPA|/pf pfʰ f v/}} where Beijing has {{IPA|/tʂw tʂʰw ʂw ɻw/}}.{{sfnp|Norman|1988|p=193}} Examples include {{IPA|/pfu/}} "pig" for standard {{tlit|zh|zhū}} {{linktext|lang=zh|豬}} {{IPA|/tʂu/}}, {{IPA|/fei/}} "water" for standard {{tlit|zh|shuǐ}} {{linktext|lang=zh|水}} {{IPA|/ʂwei/}}, {{IPA|/vã/}} "soft" for standard {{tlit|zh|ruǎn}} {{linktext|lang=zh|軟}} {{IPA|/ɻwan/}}.