| Pinyin | Explanation |
| b | similar to ‘b’ in the English ‘bus’ – softened so that it’s more like a ‘p’ sound |
| p | similar to ‘p’ in the English ‘top’ – with a bigger “puff” of air afterward |
| m | same as ‘m’ in the English ‘mat’ |
| f | same as ‘f’ in the English ‘fat’ |
| d | similar to ‘d’ in the English ‘down’ – softened so that it’s more like a ‘t’ sound |
| t | similar to ‘t’ in the English ‘stop’ – with a bigger “puff” of air afterward |
| n | similar to ‘n’ in the English ‘nose’ |
| l | similar to ‘l’ in the English ‘look’ |
| g | similar to ‘g’ in the English ‘gift’ – softened so that it’s more like a ‘k’ sound |
| k | similar to ‘k’ in the English ‘kick’ – with a bigger “puff” of air afterward |
| h | similar to ‘h’ in the English ‘home’ – with a more gutteral sound as in ‘loch’ |
| j | similar to ‘j’ in the English ‘jump’ – make sure the tongue is lying below the lower teeth |
| q | similar to ‘ch’ in the English ‘chirp’ – make sure the tongue is lying below the lower teeth |
| x | similar to ‘sh’ in the English ‘sheep’ – make sure the tongue is lying below lower teeth |
| zh | similar to ‘j’ in the English ‘jelly’ |
| ch | similar to ‘ch’ in the English ‘chirp’ |
| sh | similar to ‘sh’ in the English ‘ship’ |
| r | similar to the ‘z’ sound in the English ‘treasure’ |
| z | same as ‘ds’ in the English ‘woods’ |
| c | similar to ‘ts’ in the English ‘pits’ |
| s | similar to ‘s’ in the English ‘see’ |
| (y)i | similar to ‘ee’ in the English ‘bee’ |
| (w)u | similar to ‘oo’ in the English ‘zoom’ |
| yu | purse your lips and position the tongue high and forwards (a little like the German umlaut) |
| a | similar to ‘ah’ in the English exclamation ‘Ah-hah!’ |
| (w)o | similar to ‘or’ in the English ‘for’ |
| e | similar to ‘er’ in the English ‘fern’ |
| (y)e | similar to the English ‘Yay!’ |
| ai | similar to the ‘ai’ in the English ‘aisle’ |
| ei | similar to ‘ei’ in the English ‘neighbor’ |
| ao | similar to ‘ow’ in the English ‘now’ |
| ou | similar to ‘ou’ in the English ‘although’ |
| an | similar to ‘an’ in the English ‘fan’ |
| en | similar to ‘un’ in the English ‘under’ |
| ang | a Mandarin ‘a’ followed by the ‘ng’ sound like in the English ‘ring’ |
| eng | a Mandarin ‘e’ followed by the ‘ng’ sound like in the English ‘ring’ |
| er | a Mandarin ‘e’ with the tongue curled back |
