Initials
What is the name for the beginning consonant sound in a pinyin syllable?
What is An Initial?
what is the name for the vowel or vowel combination at the end of a pinyin syllable?
a final
How many tones are there in pinyin?
4 tones
what are the three possible parts of a complete pinyin syllable?
initial, final, and tone
What do marks above vowels represent in Pinyin?
tones
Which Initial makes an unaspirated sound similar to the English P
What is B?
What sound does the final ai make as in Tai
an eye sound (I)
which tone is high and level as in mā ?
first tone
combine m and a with a third tone, what word do you get?
mǎ
what happens to the two dots over ü after j, q, and x?
they are dropped, so it is written as u.
What is the difference between the sounds Zh and Z?
Z is pronounced with your tounge pressed further forward, and Zh is retroflex.
what is the difference between the finals an and ang?
an ends with a n sound, ang ends with an ng sound.
which tone starts high, falls, and then rises?
third tone.
combine h and ao with a third tone what do you get?
hǎo
In the syllable nǐ what happens to the dot above the letter i when the tone mark is added?
the tone mark replaces the dot.
Which three initials are aspirated versions of b,d, and g?
what special vowel is represented by ü
a rounded front vowel, similar to german ü
what happens to the pronunciation of nǐ hǎo when two third tones are combined?
the first third tone changes to a second tone pronunciation.
how is the letter ü sound written after the initial j in pinyin?
u, as in ju
what punctuation mark separates two syllables when needed to prevent confusion, as in Xi'an
an apostrophe.
Which pinyin initial makes a soft, tounge-forward sound often said as sh.
X
what are the three parts of the final iang?
i,a, and ng
what is the name for a syllable that has no full tone and is pronounced lightly.
neutral tone
how to pronounce the word liu with a fourth tone?
liù
Where does the tone mark go in a syllable containing both i and u such as liu?
on the last vowel.