Editing Pinyin (section)

== Syllables ==
Chinese phonology is generally described in terms of sound pairs of two initials ({{zhi|s=声母|t=聲母|p=shēngmǔ}}) and finals ({{zhi|s=韵母|t=韻母|p=yùnmǔ}}). This is distinct from the concept of consonant and vowel sounds as basic units in traditional (and most other phonetic systems used to describe the Chinese language). Every syllable in Standard Chinese can be described as a pair of one initial and one final, except for the special syllable ''er'' or when a trailing ''-r'' is considered part of a syllable (a phenomenon known as ''[[erhua]]''). The latter case, though a common practice in some sub-dialects, is rarely used in official publications.

Even though most initials contain a consonant, finals are not always simple vowels, especially in compound finals ({{zhi|s=复韵母|t=複韻母|p=fùyùnmǔ}}), i.e. when a "medial" is placed in front of the final. For example, the medials {{IPAblink|i}} and {{IPAblink|u}} are pronounced with such tight openings at the beginning of a final that some native Chinese speakers (especially when singing) pronounce {{zhp|p=yī|c=衣|l=clothes}}, officially pronounced {{IPA|/í/}}, as {{IPA|/jí/}} and {{zhp|p=wéi|s=围|t=圍|l=to enclose}}, officially pronounced {{IPA|/uěi/}}, as {{IPA|/wěi/}} or {{IPA|/wuěi/}}. Often these medials are treated as separate from the finals rather than as part of them; this convention is followed in the chart of finals below.

=== Initials ===
The conventional [[lexicographical order]] derived from [[bopomofo]] is:
{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3"
| style="background:#cfc" | &nbsp;b&nbsp;&nbsp;p&nbsp;&nbsp;m&nbsp;&nbsp;f&nbsp;
| style="background:#ccf" | &nbsp;d&nbsp;&nbsp;t&nbsp;&nbsp;n&nbsp;&nbsp;l&nbsp;
| style="background:#fcc" | &nbsp;g&nbsp;&nbsp;k&nbsp;&nbsp;h&nbsp;
| style="background:#fcf" | &nbsp;j&nbsp;&nbsp;q&nbsp;&nbsp;x&nbsp;
| style="background:#ffc" | &nbsp;zh&nbsp;&nbsp;ch&nbsp;&nbsp;sh&nbsp;&nbsp;r&nbsp;
| style="background:#cff" | &nbsp;z&nbsp;&nbsp;c&nbsp;&nbsp;s&nbsp;
|}

In each cell below, the pinyin letters assigned to each initial are accompanied by their phonetic realizations in brackets, notated according to the [[International Phonetic Alphabet]].

{|class=wikitable style="text-align:center;border:none"
|-
! colspan="2" {{diagonal split header|[[Manner of articulation|Manner]]|[[Place of articulation|Place]]}}
! [[Labial consonant|Labial]]
! [[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
! [[Retroflex]]
! [[Alveolo-palatal consonant|Alveolo-palatal]]
! [[Velar consonant|Velar]]
|-
! rowspan="2"| [[Plosive]]
! [[Tenuis consonant|unaspirated]]
| style="background:#cfc" | [[Voiceless bilabial plosive|b {{IPA|[p]|cat=no}}]]
| style="background:#ccf" | [[Voiceless alveolar plosive|d {{IPA|[t]|cat=no}}]]
|
|
| style="background:#fcc" | [[Voiceless velar plosive|g {{IPA|[k]|cat=no}}]]
|-
![[Aspirated consonant|aspirated]]
| style="background:#cfc" | [[Voiceless bilabial plosive|p {{IPA|[pʰ]|cat=no}}]]
| style="background:#ccf" | [[Voiceless alveolar plosive|t {{IPA|[tʰ]|cat=no}}]]
|
|
| style="background:#fcc" | [[Voiceless velar plosive|k {{IPA|[kʰ]|cat=no}}]]
|-
! colspan="2"| [[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
| style="background:#cfc" | [[Bilabial nasal|m {{IPA|[m]|cat=no}}]]
| style="background:#ccf" | [[Alveolar nasal|n {{IPA|[n]|cat=no}}]]
|
|
|
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[Affricate]]
! [[Tenuis consonant|unaspirated]]
|
| style="background:#cff" | [[Voiceless alveolar affricate|z {{IPA|[ts]|cat=no}}]]
| style="background:#ffc" | [[Voiceless retroflex affricate|zh {{IPA|[ʈʂ]|cat=no}}]]
| style="background:#fcf" | [[Voiceless alveolo-palatal affricate|j {{IPA|[tɕ]|cat=no}}]]
|
|-
! [[Aspirated consonant|aspirated]]
|
| style="background:#cff" | [[Voiceless alveolar affricate|c {{IPA|[tsʰ]|cat=no}}]]
| style="background:#ffc" | [[Voiceless retroflex affricate|ch {{IPA|[ʈʂʰ]|cat=no}}]]
| style="background:#fcf" | [[Voiceless alveolo-palatal affricate|q {{IPA|[tɕʰ]|cat=no}}]]
|
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Fricative]]
| style="background:#cfc" | [[Voiceless labiodental fricative|f {{IPA|[f]|cat=no}}]]
| style="background:#cff" | [[Voiceless alveolar sibilant|s {{IPA|[s]|cat=no}}]]
| style="background:#ffc" | [[Voiceless retroflex sibilant|sh {{IPA|[ʂ]|cat=no}}]]
| style="background:#fcf" | [[Voiceless alveolo-palatal sibilant|x {{IPA|[ɕ]|cat=no}}]]
| style="background:#fcc" | [[Voiceless velar fricative|h {{IPA|[x]|cat=no}}]]
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Liquid consonant|Liquid]]
|
| style="background:#ccf" | [[Alveolar lateral approximant|l {{IPA|[l]|cat=no}}]]
| style="background:#ffc" | r [[Voiced retroflex approximant| {{IPA|[ɻ]|cat=no}}]]~[[Voiced retroflex fricative|{{IPA|[ʐ]|cat=no}}]]
|
|
|- style="border-top:dashed"
! colspan="2" | [[Semivowel]]
| colspan="5" | y[[Palatal approximant| {{IPA|[j]|cat=no}}]], yu[[Labialized palatal approximant| {{IPA|[ɥ]|cat=no}}]] and w [[Labio-velar approximant|{{IPA|[w]|cat=no}}]]
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Pinyin || [[help:IPA|IPA]] || Description<ref>{{Cite web |last=Shea |first=Marilyn |title=Pinyin / Ting - The Chinese Experience |url=http://hua.umf.maine.edu/Chinese/topics/pinyin/pinyin.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612080715/http://hua.umf.maine.edu/Chinese/topics/pinyin/pinyin.html |archive-date=12 June 2010 |access-date=21 December 2010 |website=hua.umf.maine.edu}}</ref>
|- style="background:#cfc"
|| ''b'' || {{IPAblink|p}} || Unaspirated ''p'', like in English s<u>p</u>ark.
|- style="background:#cfc"
|| ''p'' || {{IPAblink|pʰ}} || Strongly aspirated ''p'', like in English <u>p</u>ay.
|- style="background:#cfc"
|| ''m'' || {{IPAblink|m}} || Like the ''m'' in English <u>m</u>ay.
|- style="background:#cfc"
|| ''f'' || {{IPAblink|f}} || Like the ''f'' in English <u>f</u>air.
|- style="background:#ccf"
|| ''d'' || {{IPAblink|t}} || Unaspirated ''t'', like in English s<u>t</u>op.
|- style="background:#ccf"
|| ''t'' || {{IPAblink|tʰ}} || Strongly aspirated ''t'', like in English <u>t</u>ake.
|- style="background:#ccf"
|| ''n'' || {{IPAblink|n}} || Like the ''n'' in English <u>n</u>ay.
|- style="background:#ccf"
|| ''l'' || {{IPAblink|l}}~{{IPAblink|ɾ}}{{efn|name=taiwan|for Taipei Mandarin}} || Like the ''l'' in English <u>l</u>ay.
|- style="background:#fcc"
|| ''g'' || {{IPAblink|k}} || Unaspirated ''k'', like in English s<u>k</u>ill.
|- style="background:#fcc"
|| ''k'' || {{IPAblink|kʰ}} || Strongly aspirated ''k'', like in English <u>k</u>iss.
|- style="background:#fcc"
|| ''h'' || {{IPAblink|x}}~{{IPA blink|h}}{{efn|name=taiwan}} || Varies between the ''h'' in English <u>h</u>at, and the ''ch'' in Scottish English lo<u>ch</u>.
|- style="background:#fcf"
|| ''j'' || {{IPAblink|tɕ}} || Alveolo-palatal, unaspirated. No direct equivalent in English, but similar to the ''ch'' in English chur<u>ch</u>yard.
|- style="background:#fcf"
|| ''q'' || {{IPAblink|tɕʰ}} || Alveolo-palatal, aspirated. No direct equivalent in English, but similar to the ''ch'' in English pun<u>ch</u>y.
|- style="background:#fcf"
|| ''x'' || {{IPAblink|ɕ}} || Alveolo-palatal, unaspirated. No direct equivalent in English, but similar to the ''sh'' in English pu<u>sh</u>.
|- style="background:#ffc"
|| ''zh'' || {{IPAblink|ʈʂ}}~{{IPAblink|d͡ʒ}}{{efn|name=taiwan}} || Retroflex, unaspirated. Like ''j'' in English <u>j</u>ack.
|- style="background:#ffc"
|| ''ch'' || {{IPAblink|ʈʂʰ}}~{{IPAblink|ʃ}}{{efn|name=taiwan}} || Retroflex, aspirated. Like ''ch'' in English chur<u>ch</u>.
|- style="background:#ffc"
|| ''sh'' || {{IPAblink|ʂ}}~{{IPAblink|ɹ̠̊˔}}{{efn|name=taiwan}} || Retroflex, unaspirated. Like ''sh'' in <u>sh</u>irt.
|- style="background:#ffc"
|| ''r'' || [{{IPA link|ɻ}}~{{IPA link|ʐ}}]~{{IPAblink|ɹ}}{{efn|name=taiwan}} || Retroflex. No direct equivalent in English, but varies between the ''r'' in English <u>r</u>educe and the ''s'' in English mea<u>s</u>ure.
|- style="background:#cff"
|| ''z'' || {{IPAblink|ts}} || Unaspirated. Like the ''zz'' in English pi<u>zz</u>a.
|- style="background:#cff"
|| ''c'' || {{IPAblink|tsʰ}} || Aspirated. Like the ''ts'' in English ba<u>ts</u>.
|- style="background:#cff"
|| ''s'' || {{IPAblink|s}} || Like the ''s'' in English <u>s</u>ay.
|-
|| ''w''{{efn|name=semivowel}} || {{IPAblink|w}} ||Like the ''w'' in English <u>w</u>ater.
|-
|| ''y''{{efn|name=semivowel|''Y'' and ''w'' are equivalent to the [[semivowel]] medials ''i, u'', and ''ü'' (see below). They are spelled differently when there is no initial consonant in order to mark a new syllable: ''fanguan'' is ''fan-guan'', while ''fangwan'' is ''fang-wan'' (and equivalent to ''*fang-uan)''. With this convention, an apostrophe only needs to be used to mark an initial ''a, e'', or ''o: Xi'an'' (two syllables: {{IPA|[ɕi.an]}}) vs. ''xian'' (one syllable: {{IPA|[ɕi̯ɛn]}}). In addition, ''y'' and ''w'' are added to fully vocalic ''i, u'', and ''ü'' when these occur without an initial consonant, so that they are written ''yi, wu'', and ''yu''. Some Mandarin speakers do pronounce a {{IPA|[j]}} or {{IPA|[w]}} sound at the beginning of such words—that is, ''yi'' {{IPA|[i]}} or {{IPA|[ji]}}, ''wu'' {{IPA|[u]}} or {{IPA|[wu]}}, ''yu'' {{IPA|[y]}} or {{IPA|[ɥy]}},—so this is an intuitive convention. See below for a few finals which are abbreviated after a consonant plus ''w/u'' or ''y/i'' medial: ''wen'' → C+''un'', ''wei'' → C+''ui'', ''weng'' → C+''ong'', and ''you'' → Q+''iu''.}} || {{IPAblink|j}} || Like the ''y'' in English <u>y</u>es.
|-
|''yu''{{efn|''Y'' and ''w'' are equivalent to the [[semivowel]] medials ''i, u'', and ''ü'' (see below). They are spelled differently when there is no initial consonant in order to mark a new syllable: ''fanguan'' is ''fan-guan'', while ''fangwan'' is ''fang-wan'' (and equivalent to ''*fang-uan)''. With this convention, an apostrophe only needs to be used to mark an initial ''a, e'', or ''o: Xi'an'' (two syllables: {{IPA|[ɕi.an]}}) vs. ''xian'' (one syllable: {{IPA|[ɕi̯ɛn]}}). In addition, ''y'' and ''w'' are added to fully vocalic ''i, u'', and ''ü'' when these occur without an initial consonant, so that they are written ''yi, wu'', and ''yu''. Some Mandarin speakers do pronounce a {{IPA|[j]}} or {{IPA|[w]}} sound at the beginning of such words—that is, ''yi'' {{IPA|[i]}} or {{IPA|[ji]}}, ''wu'' {{IPA|[u]}} or {{IPA|[wu]}}, ''yu'' {{IPA|[y]}} or {{IPA|[ɥy]}},—so this is an intuitive convention. See below for a few finals which are abbreviated after a consonant plus ''w/u'' or ''y/i'' medial: ''wen'' → C+''un'', ''wei'' → C+''ui'', ''weng'' → C+''ong'', and ''you'' → Q+''iu''.|name=semivowel}}
|{{IPAblink|ɥ}}
|Like the ''hu'' in French <u>hu</u>it, see below.
|}
{{Notelist|group=color}}

=== Finals ===
{{mandarin vowels}}
In each cell below, the first line indicates the [[International Phonetic Alphabet]] (IPA) transcription, the second indicates pinyin for a standalone (no-initial) form, and the third indicates pinyin for a combination with an initial. Other than finals modified by an ''-r'', which are omitted, the following is an exhaustive table of all possible finals.

The only syllable-final consonants in Standard Chinese are ''-n'', ''-ng'', and ''-r'', the last of which is attached as a grammatical [[suffix]]. A Chinese syllable ending with any other consonant either is from a non-Mandarin language (a southern Chinese language such as [[Cantonese]], reflecting [[Old Chinese phonology#Tones and final consonants|final consonants in Old Chinese]]), or indicates the use of a non-pinyin romanization system, such as one that uses final consonants to indicate tones. <!-- /əɻ/ 而爾耳 is missing -->
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! {{diagonal split header|Medial|Rime}}
! scope="col" style="min-width:2em" | ∅ !! scope="col" colspan="2" style="min-width:2em" | -⁠e{{\}}-⁠o{{\}}-⁠ê
! scope="col" style="min-width:2em" | -⁠a !! scope="col" style="min-width:2em" | -⁠ei !! scope="col" style="min-width:2em" | -⁠ai
! scope="col" style="min-width:2em" | -⁠ou !! scope="col" | -⁠ao !! scope="col" style="min-width:2em" | -⁠en !! scope="col" | -⁠an
! scope="col" style="min-width:2em" | -⁠eng !! scope="col" | -⁠ang !! scope="col" style="min-width:2em" | er
|- style="vertical-align:top" 
! scope="row" style="vertical-align:middle" | ∅
| {{IPA|[ɨ]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|-⁠i}} || {{IPA|[ɤ]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|e|-⁠e}} || {{IPA|[ɛ]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|ê|-⁠ê}} || {{IPA|[a]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|a|-⁠a}}
| {{IPA|[ei̯]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|ei|-⁠ei}} || {{IPA|[ai̯]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|ai|-⁠ai}}
| {{IPA|[ou̯]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|ou|-⁠ou}} || {{IPA|[au̯]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|ao|-⁠ao}}
| {{IPA|[ən]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|en|-⁠en}} || {{IPA|[an]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|an|-⁠an}}
| {{IPA|[əŋ]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|eng|-⁠eng}} || {{IPA|[aŋ]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|ang|-⁠ang}}
| {{IPA|[ɚ]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|er}}
|- style="vertical-align:top" 
! scope="row" style="vertical-align:middle" | {{ubl|y⁠-|-⁠i⁠-}}
| {{IPA|[i]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|yi|-⁠i}} || colspan="2" | {{IPA|[je]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|ye|-⁠ie}} || {{IPA|[ja]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|ya|-⁠ia}}
| colspan="2" class="table-na" style="background-color:#ececec;border-style:none" | 
| {{IPA|[jou̯]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|you|-⁠iu}} || {{IPA|[jau̯]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|yao|-⁠iao}}
| {{IPA|[in]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|yin|-⁠in}} || {{IPA|[jɛn]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|yan|-⁠ian}}
| {{IPA|[iŋ]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|ying|-⁠ing}} || {{IPA|[jaŋ]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|yang|-⁠iang}}
| rowspan="3" class="table-na" style="background-color:#ececec;border-style:none" | 
|- style="vertical-align:top"
! scope="row" style="vertical-align:middle" | {{ubl|w⁠-|-⁠u⁠-}}
| {{IPA|[u]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|wu|-⁠u}} || colspan="2" | {{IPA|[wo]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|wo|-⁠uo}} || {{IPA|[wa]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|wa|-⁠ua}}
| {{IPA|[wei̯]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|wei|-⁠ui}} || {{IPA|[wai̯]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|wai|-⁠uai}}
| colspan="2" class="table-na" style="background-color:#ececec;border-style:none" | 
| {{IPA|[wən]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|wen|-⁠un}} || {{IPA|[wan]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|wan|-⁠uan}}
| {{IPA|[wəŋ~ʊŋ]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|weng|-⁠ong}} || {{IPA|[waŋ]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|wang|-⁠uang}}
|- style="vertical-align:top"
! scope="row" style="vertical-align:middle" | {{ubl|yu⁠-|-⁠ü⁠-}}
| {{IPA|[y]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|yu|-⁠ü}} || colspan="2" | {{IPA|[ɥe]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|yue|-⁠üe}}
| colspan="5"  class="table-na" style="background-color:#ececec;border-style:none" | 
| {{IPA|[yn]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|yun|-⁠ün}} || {{IPA|[ɥɛn]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|yuan|-⁠üan}}
| {{IPA|[jʊŋ]}}{{hr}}{{ubc|yong|-⁠iong}}
| colspan="2"  class="table-na" style="background-color:#ececec;border-style:none" | 
|}
Technically, ''i, u, ü'' without a following vowel are finals, not medials, and therefore take the tone marks, but they are more concisely displayed as above. In addition, ''ê'' {{IPA|[ɛ]}} ({{zhi|s=欸|t=誒}}) and syllabic nasals ''m'' ({{zhi|c=呒}}, {{zhi|c=呣}}), ''n'' ({{zhi|c=嗯}}, {{zhi|c=唔}}), ''ng'' ({{zhi|c=嗯}}, {{zhi|c=𠮾}}) are used as [[interjection]]s or in [[neologism]]s; for example, pinyin defines the names of several pinyin letters using ''-ê'' finals.

According to the ''Scheme for the Chinese Phonetic Alphabet'', ''ng'' can be abbreviated with the shorthand ''[[ŋ]]''. However, this shorthand is rarely used due to difficulty of entering it on computers.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Pinyin || IPA || Form with [[zero initial]] || Explanation
|-
| ''-i'' || [{{IPA link|ɹ|ɹ̩}}~{{IPA link|z|z̩}}], [{{IPA link|ɻ|ɻ̩}}~{{IPA link|ʐ|ʐ̩}}] || (''N/A'') || ''-i'' is a buzzed continuation of the consonant following ''z-'', ''c-'', ''s-'', ''zh-'', ''ch-'', ''sh-'' or ''r-''. In all other cases, -i has the sound of ''b'''ee'''''.
|-
| ''a'' || {{IPAblink|ä|a}} || '''a''' || like English ''f'''a'''ther'', but a bit more fronted
|-
| ''e'' || {{IPA|cmn|ɤ||Close-mid back unrounded vowel.ogg}}, {{IPA|[ə]}}{{efn|name=taiwan}} || '''e''' || a back, unrounded vowel (similar to English ''d'''uh''''', but not as open). Pronounced as a sequence {{IPA|[ɰɤ]}}.
|-
| ''ai'' || {{IPA|[ai̯]}} || '''ai''' || like English '''eye''', but a bit lighter
|-
| ''ei'' || {{IPA|[ei̯]}} || '''ei''' || as in ''h'''ey'''''
|-
| ''ao'' || {{IPA|[au̯]}} || '''ao''' || approximately as in ''c'''ow'''''; the ''a'' is much more audible than the ''o''
|-
| ''ou'' || {{IPA|[ou̯]}} || '''ou''' || as in North American English ''s'''o'''''
|-
| ''an'' || {{IPA|[an]}} || '''an''' || like British English ''b'''an''''', but more central
|-
| ''en'' || {{IPA|[ən]}} || '''en''' || as in ''tak'''en'''''
|-
| ''ang'' || {{IPA|[aŋ]}} || '''ang''' || as in German '''Ang'''st.<br>
(Starts with the vowel sound in ''f'''a'''ther'' and ends in the [[velar nasal]]; like ''s'''ong''''' in some dialects of American English)
|-
| ''eng'' || {{IPA|[əŋ]}} || '''eng''' || like ''e'' in ''en'' above but with ''ng'' appended
|-
| ''ong'' || {{IPA|[ʊŋ]}}~{{IPA|[o̞ʊŋ]}}{{efn|name=taiwan}} || ''(weng)'' || starts with the vowel sound in ''b'''oo'''k'' and ends with the velar nasal sound in ''si'''ng'''''. Varies between {{IPA|[oŋ]}} and {{IPA|[uŋ]}} depending on the speaker.
|-
| ''er'' || {{IPA|[aɚ̯]}}~{{IPA|[əɹ]}}{{efn|name=taiwan}} || '''er''' || Similar to the sound in ''b'''ar''''' in English. Can also be pronounced {{IPA|[ɚ]}} depending on the speaker.
|-
! colspan="4" | Finals beginning with ''i-'' (''y-'')
|-
| ''i'' || {{IPAblink|i}} || '''yi''' || like English ''b'''ee'''''
|-
| ''ia'' || {{IPA|[ja]}} || '''ya''' || as '''''i''''' + '''''a'''''; like English '''''ya'''rd''
|-
| ''ie'' || {{IPA|[je]}} || '''ye''' || as '''''i''''' + '''''ê''''' where the ''e'' (compare with the ''ê'' interjection) is pronounced shorter and lighter
|-
| ''iao'' || {{IPA|[jau̯]}} || '''yao''' || as '''''i''''' + '''''ao'''''
|-
| ''iu'' || {{IPA|[jou̯]}} || '''you''' || as '''''i''''' + '''''ou'''''
|-
| ''ian'' || {{IPA|[jɛn]}} || '''yan''' || as '''i''' + '''an'''; like English '''''yen'''''. Varies between {{IPA|[jen]}} and {{IPA|[jan]}} depending on the speaker.
|-
| ''in'' || {{IPA|[in]}} || '''yin''' || as '''''i''''' + '''''n'''''
|-
| ''iang'' || {{IPA|[jaŋ]}} || '''yang''' || as '''''i''''' + '''''ang'''''
|-
| ''ing'' || {{IPA|[iŋ]}} || '''ying''' || as '''''i''''' + '''''ng'''''
|-
| ''iong'' || {{IPA|[jʊŋ]}} || '''yong''' || as '''''i''''' + '''''ong'''''. Varies between {{IPA|[joŋ]}} and {{IPA|[juŋ]}} depending on the speaker.
|-
! colspan="4" | Finals beginning with ''u-'' (''w-'')
|-
| ''u'' || {{IPAblink|u}} || '''wu''' || like English '''''oo'''''
|-
| ''ua'' || {{IPA|[wa]}} || '''wa''' || as '''''u''''' + '''''a'''''
|-
| ''uo''/''o'' || {{IPA|[wo]}} || '''wo''' || as '''''u''''' + '''''o''''' where the ''o'' (compare with the ''o'' interjection) is pronounced shorter and lighter (spelled as '''''o''''' after ''b'', ''p'', ''m'' or ''f'')
|-
| ''uai'' || {{IPA|[wai̯]}} || '''wai''' || as '''''u''''' + '''''ai''''', as in English '''''why'''''
|-
| ''ui'' || {{IPA|[wei̯]}} || '''wei''' || as '''''u''''' + '''''ei''''', as in English '''''way'''''
|-
| ''uan'' || {{IPA|[wan]}} || '''wan''' || as '''''u''''' + '''''an'''''
|-
| ''un'' || {{IPA|[wən]}} || '''wen''' || as '''''u''''' + '''''en'''''; as in English '''''won'''''
|-
| ''uang'' || {{IPA|[waŋ]}} || '''wang''' || as '''''u''''' + '''''ang'''''
|-
|''(ong)'' || {{IPA|[wəŋ]}} || '''weng''' || as '''''u''''' + '''''eng'''''
|-
! colspan=4 | Finals beginning with ''ü-'' (''yu-'')
|-
| ''ü'' || {{IPA|cmn|y ||Close front rounded vowel.ogg}} || '''yu''' || as in German '''''ü'''ber'' or French ''l'''u'''ne'' (pronounced as English '''ee''' with rounded lips; spelled as '''''u''''' after ''j'', ''q'' or ''x'')
|-
| ''üe'' || {{IPA|[ɥe]}} || '''yue''' || as '''''ü''''' + '''''ê''''' where the e (compare with the ''ê'' interjection) is pronounced shorter and lighter (spelled as '''''ue''''' after ''j'', ''q'' or ''x'')
|-
| ''üan'' || {{IPA|[ɥɛn]}} || '''yuan''' || as '''''ü''''' + '''''an'''''. Varies between {{IPA|[ɥen]}} and {{IPA|[ɥan]}} depending on the speaker (spelled as '''''uan''''' after ''j'', ''q'' or ''x'')
|-
| ''ün'' || {{IPA|[yn]}} || '''yun''' || as '''''ü''''' + '''''n''''' (spelled as '''''un''''' after ''j'', ''q'' or ''x'')
|-
! colspan="4" | Interjections
|-
| ''ê'' || {{IPAblink|ɛ}} || '''ê''' || as in ''b'''e'''t''
|-
| ''o'' || {{IPAblink|ɔ}} || '''o''' || approximately as in British English '''''o'''ffice''; the lips are much more rounded
|-
| ''io'' || {{IPA|[jɔ]}} || '''yo''' || as '''''i''''' + '''''o'''''
|}

==== The {{nwr|⟨ü⟩}} sound ====
An [[Umlaut (diacritic)|umlaut]] is added to {{angbr IPA|u}} when it occurs after the initials {{angbr IPA|l}} and {{angbr IPA|n}} when necessary in order to represent the sound {{IPA|[y]}}. This is necessary in order to distinguish the front high rounded vowel in {{tlit|zh|lü}} (e.g. {{zhi|s=驴|t=驢|l=donkey}}) from the back high rounded vowel in {{tlit|zh|lu}} (e.g. {{zhi|s=炉|t=爐|l=oven}}). Tonal markers are placed above the umlaut, as in {{tlit|zh|lǘ}}.

However, the ''ü'' is ''not'' used in the other contexts where it could represent a front high rounded vowel, namely after the letters ''j'', ''q'', ''x'', and ''y''. For example, the sound of the word for {{zhl|s=鱼|t=魚|l=fish}} is transcribed in pinyin simply as {{tlit|zh|yú}}, not as *{{tlit|zh|yǘ}}. This practice is opposed to Wade–Giles, which always uses ''ü'', and [[Tongyong Pinyin]], which always uses ''yu''. Whereas Wade–Giles needs the umlaut to distinguish between ''chü'' (pinyin {{tlit|zh|ju}}) and ''chu'' (pinyin {{tlit|zh|zhu}}), this ambiguity does not arise with pinyin, so the more convenient form ''ju'' is used instead of ''jü''. Genuine ambiguities only happen with ''nu''/''nü'' and ''lu''/''lü'', which are then distinguished by an umlaut.

Many fonts or output methods do not support an umlaut for ''ü'' or cannot place tone marks on top of ''ü''. Likewise, using ''ü'' in input methods is difficult because it is not present as a simple key on many keyboard layouts. For these reasons ''v'' is sometimes used instead by convention. For example, it is common for cellphones to use ''v'' instead of ''ü''. Additionally, some stores in China use ''v'' instead of ''ü'' in the transliteration of their names. The drawback is a lack of [[precomposed character]]s and limited font support for [[combining accent]]s on the letter ''v'', ({{IPA|v̄ v́ v̌ v̀}}).

This also presents a problem in transcribing names for use on passports, affecting people with names that consist of the sound {{tlit|zh|lü}} or {{tlit|zh|nü}}, particularly people with the surname {{zhc|c=吕|p=[[Lü (surname)|Lǚ]]}}, a fairly common surname, particularly compared to the surnames {{zhc|c=陆|p=[[Lu (surname 陆)|Lù]]}}, {{zhc|c=鲁|p=[[Lu (surname 鲁)|Lǔ]]}}, {{zhc|c=卢|p=[[Lu (surname 卢)|Lú]]}} and {{zhc|c=路|p=[[Lu (surname 路)|Lù]]}}. Previously, the practice varied among different passport issuing offices, with some transcribing as "LV" and "NV" while others used "LU" and "NU". On 10 July 2012, the [[Ministry of Public Security of the People's Republic of China|Ministry of Public Security]] standardized the practice to use "LYU" and "NYU" in passports.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Huang|first=Rong|script-title=zh:公安部最新规定 护照上的"ü"规范成"YU"|url=http://wx.xinhuanet.com/2012-08/23/c_112822099.htm|access-date=29 August 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714182037/http://wx.xinhuanet.com/2012-08/23/c_112822099.htm|archive-date=14 July 2014|language=zh}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Li|first=Zhiyan|script-title=zh:"吕"拼音到怎么写？ 公安部称应拼写成"LYU"|url=http://news.cnwest.com/content/2012-08/22/content_7093021.htm|access-date=23 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130528015235/http://news.cnwest.com/content/2012-08/22/content_7093021.htm|archive-date=28 May 2013|url-status=dead|language=zh}}</ref>

Although ''nüe'' written as ''nue'', and ''lüe'' written as ''lue'' are not ambiguous, ''nue'' or ''lue'' are not correct according to the rules; ''nüe'' and ''lüe'' should be used instead. However, some Chinese input methods support both ''nve''/''lve'' (typing ''v'' for ''ü'') and ''nue''/''lue''.