Help:IPA/Cantonese

The following tables list the International phonetic Alphabet used for Cantonese. Refer to {{IPAc-yue}} for a template converting Jyutping to IPA.

This is the pronunciation key for IPA transcriptions of Cantonese on Wikipedia. It provides a set of symbols to represent the pronunciation of Cantonese in Wikipedia articles, and example words that illustrate the sounds that correspond to them. Integrity must be maintained between the key and the transcriptions that link here; do not change any symbol or value without establishing consensus on the talk page first. For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA. For the distinction between [ ], / / and ⟨ ⟩, see IPA § Brackets and transcription delimiters.

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Key

Initial consonants[lower-roman 1] IPA J Y Examples[lower-roman 2] f f [jɐt̚˥ ŋam˨˩ jɐt̚˥ fɐt̚˥] 一岩一窟 h h [lej˨˩ hɔŋ˨˩ lej˨˩ lat̚˨] 離行離迾 j j y[lower-roman 3] [fɐt̚˨ tɔw˥ jɐw˨˧ fɔ˨˥] 佛都有火 k g [maj˨˧ siw˨˥ kin˧ siw˨˥] 買少見少 kʰ k [kʰɛ˨˩ ŋɐw˨˩ wɐn˨˥ ma˨˧] 騎牛揾馬 kʷ gw [mɔŋ˨ tʰin˥ ta˨˥ kʷa˧] 望天打卦 kʷʰ kw [kʷʰɛn˨˩ maj˨˩] 群埋 l l [fat̚˧ lɔŋ˥ lɐj˨˥] 發狼戾 m m [lɵɥ˨ jɐn˨˩ lɵɥ˨ mɐt̚˨] 累人累物 n n [mej˨ jɐw˨˧ nɔj˨˥] 未有耐 ŋ ng [taj˨ ŋɔn˥ tsi˨˥ ji˨˧] 大安旨意 p b [tsa˧ sɔ˨˩ pan˨ mʊŋ˨˥] 詐傻扮懵 pʰ p [jɐt̚˥ pʰɔw˥ tsʰɪŋ˥ tɔj˨˥] 一鋪清袋 s[lower-roman 4] s [lɔk̚˨ sɐw˨˥ lɔk̚˨ kœk̚˧] 落手落腳 t d [mɐn˥ tɔw˥ fɐn˧] 蚊都瞓 tʰ t [hɔw˨˥ hɔw˨˥ tʰɐj˨˥ tʰɐj˨˥] 好好睇睇 ts[lower-roman 5] z j [lin˨ tsɛŋ˥ hɔk̚˨ lan˨˧] 練精學懶 tsʰ[lower-roman 6] c ch [mɔw˨˩ tsʰɪŋ˨˩ pak̚˨ si˨] 無情白事 w w [wa˨ tɐk̚˥ maj˨˩] 話得埋

Vocalic finals[lower-roman 1] IPA J Y Examples[lower-roman 2] a aa a [ŋɔn˥ lɔk̚˨ tsʰa˨˩ fan˨] 安樂茶飯 aj[lower-roman 7] aai [jɐn˨˩ sɐj˧ kʷɐj˨˥ taj˨] 人細鬼大 aw[lower-roman 7] aau [lɔw˨˧ maw˥ siw˥ sɔw˥] 老貓燒鬚 ɛ e [fɔ˨˥ tsɛ˥ ŋan˨˧] 火遮眼 ej[lower-roman 7] ei [lɐm˨˩ mej˨˧ hœŋ˥] 臨尾香 ɐj[lower-roman 7] ai [tsɐt̚˨ tʰɐw˨˩ tsɐt̚˨ sɐj˧] 窒頭窒勢 ɐw[lower-roman 7] au [ŋan˧ tsɐw˧] 晏晝 i i [tɪŋ˨ si˨˩ tɪŋ˨ hɐw˨] 定時定候 iw[lower-roman 7] iu [tiw˧ jɐn˨˧] 吊癮 ɔ o [tsɔw˨ mɔ˨ sɐm˥] 做磨心 œ oe eu [kœ˧ pʰa˨˥] 鋸扒 ɔj[lower-roman 7] oi [pɔ˥ lɔ˨˩ kɔj˧] 菠蘿蓋 ɔw[lower-roman 7] ou [tsɔw˨ hɔw˨˥ tsɔw˨ tsʰɐw˨˥] 做好做醜 ɵɥ[lower-roman 8][lower-roman 7] eoi eui [jɐm˨˥ paw˨˥ sɪk̚˨ tsɵɥ˧] 飲飽食醉 u u [ku˥ mɐt̚˨ lɵn˨] 姑勿論 uj ui [muj˨˩ fa˥ kan˧ tsʊk̚˥] 梅花間竹 y yu [mɔk̚˥ kʷɔŋ˥ tsy˥] 剝光豬

Nasal finals[lower-roman 1] IPA J Y Examples[lower-roman 2] -m m̩ m [pun˨˥ tej˨ kœŋ˥ m̩˨˩ lat̚˨] 本地薑唔辣 am aam [ŋam˨˩ tsʰam˨˩] 岩巉 ɐm am [jɐm˨˥ tʰɐw˨˩ tam˨ tʰɔŋ˥] 飲頭啖湯 im im [tsim˥ hɔn˨˩ tsim˥ tʊŋ˧] 沾寒沾凍 -n an aan [mej˨˩ tsɪŋ˥ ŋan˨˧ kʰej˨˧] 眉精眼企 ɐn an [jɐw˨˧ mɐn˨˩ jɐw˨˧ lɔw˨] 有紋有路 in in [lɐj˨˧ ji˥ pin˥] 禮衣邊 ɵn[lower-roman 8] eon eun [nɐw˨˥ tsɵn˨ lʊk̚˨ jɐm˨˩] 扭盡六壬 ɔn on [fat̚˧ tsʰin˨˥ hɔn˨˩] 發錢寒 un un [mɔ˨˥ mun˨˩ tɛŋ˥] 摸門釘 yn yun [ŋan˨˧ jyn˥] 眼冤 -ŋ ŋ̍ ng [ŋ̍˨˧ ŋ̍˨˧ pɔ˥] 五五波 aŋ aang [haŋ˨˩ tsʰa˥ tap̚˨ tsʰɔ˧] 行差踏錯 ɐŋ ang [tsɐŋ˨ hɪŋ˧] 贈興 ɛŋ eng [fɐn˧ lɐj˨˥ kɛŋ˨˥] 瞓捩頸 ɪŋ ing [tsi˥ tsi˥ tsɪŋ˨˥ tsɪŋ˨˥] 姿姿整整 ɔŋ ong [mɔw˨˧ sɐm˥ tsɔŋ˥ tsɔj˧] 冇心裝載 œŋ oeng eung [jim˨˩ mɛŋ˨ tsʰœŋ˨˩] 嫌命長 ʊŋ ung [kan˧ tsʊŋ˥] 間中

Checked finals[lower-roman 1] IPA J Y Examples[lower-roman 2] -p̚ ap̚ aap [mɔw˨˧ tap̚˧ sap̚˧] 冇搭霎 ɐp̚ ap [lɔk̚˨ jy˨˧ si˥ sɐp̚˥] 落雨斯濕 ip̚ ip [tip̚˨ maj˨˩ sɐm˥ sɵɥ˨˥] 疊埋心水 -t̚ at̚ aat [lat̚˨ tʰat̚˧] 邋遢 ɐt̚ at [tɔŋ˨ sɐt̚˥ lɔw˨] 蕩失路 it̚ it [pɔk̚˨ tsʰit̚˥ tsʰit̚˥] 薄切切 ɵt̚[lower-roman 8] eot eut [tsɵt̚˥ tsi˥] 卒之 ɔt̚ ot [hɔt̚˧ si˨˧] 渴市 ut̚ ut [ŋan˨˧ fut̚˧ tʰɔw˨˧ tsak̚˧] 眼闊肚窄 yt̚ yut [wat̚˨ lyt̚˥ lyt̚˥] 滑捋捋 -k̚ ak̚ aak [mej˨˩ tʰɐw˨˩ ŋan˨˧ ŋak̚˨] 眉頭眼額 ɐk̚ ak [jɐt̚˥ jɐt̚˨ tɔw˧ hɐk̚˥] 一日到黑 ɛk̚ ek [mɔ˨˩ lan˨ tsɛk̚˨] 磨爛蓆 ɪk̚ ik [tɪk̚̚˥ hej˨˥ sɐm˥ kɔn˥] 的起心肝 œk̚ oek euk [tsɔw˨˥ tsɐw˨˥ tsɔw˨˥ tsœk̚˨] 早走早着 ɔk̚ ok [tɔw˨˥ tsʰin˨˥ lɔk̚˨ hɔj˨˥] 倒錢落海 ʊk̚ uk [pʊk̚˨ ji˥ jɐn˥] 伏伊人

Tones[lower-roman 9]
IPA	Numeric contours	Tonal categories	J	Y	Examples[lower-roman 2]
˥	55	陰平	◌1	ū	[tɪŋ˨˥ sɐm˥ tɪŋ˨˥ fɐj˧] 頂心頂肺
˨˥	25	陰上	◌2	ú	[wɐj˥ sɵɥ˨˥ si˨˥] 威水史
˧	33	陰去	◌3	u	[lʊŋ˥ lʊŋ˥ la˧ la˧] 窿窿罅罅
˨˩	21	陽平	◌4	ùh	[jim˨˩ tsʰin˨˥ sɛŋ˥] 嫌錢腥
˨˧	23	陽上	◌5	úh	[mɔw˨˧ ŋa˨˧ tse˥ tʰɐw˨˩] 冇瓦遮頭
˨	22	陽去	◌6	uh	[wa˨ tʰɐw˨˩ sɪŋ˨˥ mej˨˧] 話頭醒尾

Notes

1. This list of consonant inventories and vowel inventories are based on 香港粵語大詞典 (2018).^[1] The transcriptions of vowels, consonants and tones in IPA, Jyutping (J) and Yale romanization (Y) are based on Cantonese: A Comprehensive Grammar, 2nd ed. (2011)^[2] and 香港粵語大詞典 (2018).
2. Glosses are displayed over the dotted line. (Instructions: for desktop computers, hover your mouse cursor over it; for iOS mobile browsers, request desktop website on your toolbar and then click on the dotted line; for Android mobile browsers, it is unavailable). Vocabulary examples are drawn from 香港粵語大詞典 (2018).^[3]
3. Omitted when it precedes the nucleus [y].
4. [s] appears as [ʃ] in other sources.^[1][2]
5. [ts] appears as [tʃ] in other sources.^[1][2]
6. [tsʰ] appears as [tʃʰ] in other sources.^[1][2]
7. The gliding non-syllables may be less explicitly transcribed with syllables, such that the non-syllabic [j] represented as syllabic [i], [w] as [u], and [ɥ] as [y].
8. [ɵ] appears as [ø] in other sources.^[1][2]
9. The so-called 7th, 8th and 9th tones are not officially marked as such in Jyutping (J)^[2] and Yale romanization (Y).^[1] They are officially marked as the 1st, 3rd and 6th tones respectively.^[1]

References

1. 張勵妍; 倪列懷; 潘禮美 (2018). 香港粵語大詞典. Hong Kong: 天地圖書. p. 648-650.
2. Matthews, Stephen; Yip, Virginia (2011). Cantonese: A Comprehensive Grammar, 2nd edition. New York: Routledge. p. 461-463.
3. 張勵妍; 倪列懷; 潘禮美 (2018). 香港粵語大詞典. Hong Kong: 天地圖書. p. 41-622.

See also

• Cantonese phonology
• Category:Pages with Cantonese IPA (331)