n n
f f
l l
s s
r r
b pronounced as hard p (as in speak)
p p (as in peak)
g pronounced as hard k (as in ski)
k k (as in key)
d pronounced as hard t (as in star)
t t (as in tar)
Group 2: Some modification is needed to get these Chinese sounds from English.
CHINESE eNGLISH
j as j in jeep (but unvoiced, not round-lipped)
q as ch in cheese (but not round-lipped)
x as sh in sheep (but not round-lipped)
c as ts as in cats (make it long)
z as ds as in beds (but unvoiced, and make it long)Group 3: No English counterparts
Chinese zh, ch, and sh have no English counterparts. You can learn to say zh, ch and sh starting
from z, c and s. For example, say s (which is almost the same as the English s in sesame) and then
roll up your tongue to touch the roof of your mouth. You get sh.1.4 Tones
Chinese is a tonal language, i.e. a sound pronounced in different tones is understood as different
words. So the tone is an indispensable component of the pronunciation of a word.
1.4.1 Basic Tones
There are four basic tones. The following five-level pitch graph shows the values of the four tones:The First Tone is a high, level tone and is represented as ̄, e.g. 妈 mā (meaning mother, mom).
The Second Tone is a high, rising tone and is represented by the tone mark , e.g. 麻 má (hemp or
sesame).
The Third Tone is a falling and rising tone. As you can see from the pitch graph it falls from below
the middle of the voice range to nearly the bottom and then rises to a point near the top. It is