Initials

y and w are used for the semivowels [j] and [w], except in the syllables "yi" [i], "yin" [in], "ying" [iŋ], "yu" [y], "yue" [ɥe], "yun" [yn], "yuan" [ɥɛn], and "wu" [u], where they are a sort of null initial.

Finals

Mandarin doesn't have many phonemic vowels, maybe as few as three (low-mid-high), but their realization is quite varied.

The final can be split into three parts: the optional medial, which is a possible semivowel [j], [y~ɥ] or [w]; the vowel itself; and the optional coda, which can be the semivowels [i̯] or [u̯] or the nasals [n] or [ŋ].

• Without a medial or final, i, e, a are [ɨ, ɤ, a]. There are no medialless and finalless o or u.
• ê (e with rising-falling tone) is [ɛ].
• ye/-ie, ya/-ia, wo/-uo, wa/-ua, ei, ai, wei, wai/-uai, ou, you/-iou, an, wan/-uan, ang, yang/-iang, wang/-uang are pronounced essentially like they were IPA, except with the obvious y→[j] and ng→[ŋ].
• After an y or the initials j, q, x [tɕ, tɕʰ, ɕ], u is actually an ü and pronounced as [y] and the y disappears, so yu, yue, yun are [y], [ɥe], [ɥn]; the same as -ü, -üe, -ün (there is no -üng, or -ung for that matter).
• The final yan/-ian is unintuitively pronounced [jɛn], and yuan/-üan is [ɥɛn].
• Before an i, y is null, so yi, yin, ying are [i], [in], [iŋ].
• Before a codaless u, w is null.
• ü exists, but is commonly inputted and outputted as v.
• ao, yao/-iao are [au] and [jau].
• e is an [ə] in en, wen, eng, weng.
• o is an [ʊ] in -ong, yong/-iong, but variation between [o] and [u] is likely.

2017-12-29 | oatcookies.tx0.org