Compound Vowels
Compound vowels are combinations of 2 or 3 letters, starting with a simple vowel.
A compound vowel’s pronunciation is almost always the contraction of several sounds. The trick is to make it really fast. For example: ui is pronounced as /ʊ/ immediately followed by an /ɪ/, as in whey. (Do not drag it too long, like /ʊʊʊ…ɪ/.)
| Vowel | Pronunciation | English Counterpart | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| ai | uy in buy | taì 太 | |
| ei | ey in hey | leì 累 | |
| ui | /ʊ/-/ɪ/, sounds like whey | húi 回 | |
| ao | ow in how | láo 牢 | |
| ou | sounds like owe | lóu 楼 | |
| iu | ee-you | líu 刘 | |
| ie | yeah | xiè 谢 | |
| üe | like ü, but with an yeah ending | lǜe 略 | |
| er | ir in sir | lèr 乐儿 | |
| an | un in fun | kàn 看 | |
| en | /ə/-n | rén 人 | |
| in | in in gin | lín 林 | |
| un | /ʊ/-n, oon in boon | chūn 春 | |
| ün | /ɪ/-/ʊ/-n | yǜn 运 | |
| ang | ongue in tongue | tāng 汤 | |
| eng | ung in sung | lěng 冷 | |
| ing | ing in thing | tīng 听 | |
| ong | ong in song | tóng 同 |