The charts below show the way in which the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) represents Cantonese pronunciations in Wikipedia articles.
See Cantonese phonology for a more thorough look at the sounds of Cantonese. Please note that English equivalents given in this page may only represent very approximate sounds to the original pronunciations.
| IPA |
Yale |
Jyutping |
Chinese |
English approximation |
| Consonants |
| f |
f |
風 |
fan |
| h |
h |
客 |
house |
| j |
y |
j |
月 |
you |
| k |
g-, -k |
角 |
scan |
| kʰ |
k |
卡 |
can |
| kʷ |
gw |
郭 |
squeak |
| kʷʰ |
kw |
規 |
quick |
| l |
l |
落 |
leaf |
| m |
m |
莫 |
moon |
| m̩ |
m |
唔 |
mm |
| n |
n |
男 |
noon |
| ŋ |
ng |
疼 |
song |
| ŋ̍ |
ng |
我 |
(syllabic ng) |
| p |
b-, -p |
班 |
span |
| pʰ |
p |
拍 |
pan |
| s |
s |
水 |
saw |
| t |
d-, -t |
達 |
stand |
| tʰ |
t |
拖 |
tan |
| ts |
j |
z |
雀 |
cats |
| tsʰ |
ch |
c |
桌 |
tsunami |
| w |
w |
活 |
water |
| ʔ |
(before a, e, o) |
|
oh-oh! |
All of these consonants may begin a syllable,
though some speakers do not have [n, ŋ].[1]
In addition, [p t k m n (ŋ)] may end one.[2]
|
| IPA |
Yale |
Jyutping |
Chinese |
English approximation |
| Vowels |
| aː |
aa, -a |
aa |
牙 |
father |
| aːi |
aai |
界 |
time |
| aːu |
aau |
交 |
how |
| ɐ |
a |
甩 |
cut |
| ɐi |
ai |
梯 |
kite |
| ɐu |
au |
勾 |
house |
| ei |
ei |
悲 |
hey |
| ɛː |
e |
些 |
yes |
| ɛːu |
— |
eu |
|
Spanish eu |
| ɪ |
i |
色 |
sing, sick |
| iː |
思 |
see |
| iːu |
iu |
橋 |
few |
| ou |
ou |
好 |
hoe |
| ɔː |
o |
婆 |
war |
| ɔːi |
oi |
海 |
boy |
| œː |
eu |
oe |
靴 |
German öh, French eu |
| ɵ |
eo |
|
German ö, French eu |
| ɵy |
eui |
eoi |
去 |
neutre (Quebec French) |
| ʊ |
u |
福 |
look |
| uː |
烏 |
food |
| uːi |
ui |
雷 |
phooey |
| yː |
yu |
於 |
German ü, French u |
| IPA |
Yale |
Jyutping |
Chinese |
Description |
| Tones |
| sí |
sī |
si1[3] |
思 |
high level: si˥ |
| sî |
sì |
|
high falling: si˥˧ |
| sǐ |
sí |
si2 |
史 |
mid rising: si˨˥ |
| sī |
si |
si3 |
試 |
mid level: si˧ |
si̭
sȉ |
sìh |
si4 |
時 |
low falling: si˨˩
or very low: si˩ |
| si̬ |
síh |
si5 |
市 |
low rising: si˨˧ |
| sì |
sih |
si6 |
是 |
low level: si˨ |
| sík |
sīk |
sik1 |
色 |
high checked: sik˥ |
| sīk |
sik |
sik3 |
舌 |
mid checked: sik˧ |
| sìk |
sihk |
sik6 |
食 |
low checked: sik˨ |
|
- ^ Initial [ŋ] is not pronounced by younger speakers, leaving a glottal stop [ʔ] before a, e, o, and initial [n] may be pronounced [l].
- ^ Final [ŋ] may be merged into [n]. [i u] in diphthongs are equivalent to a final [j w]. After [ɵ], a i becomes [y].
- ^ The high level and high falling tones have merged to high level in Hong Kong for most words
