The following tables list the International phonetic Alphabet used for Cantonese. Refer to {{}} for a template converting Jyutping to IPA.
Key
| Initial consonants
|
| IPA
|
J
|
Y
|
Examples
|
|
f
|
f
|
[jɐt̚˥ ŋam˨˩ jɐt̚˥ fɐt̚˥]
|
|
h
|
h
|
[lej˨˩ hɔŋ˨˩ lej˨˩ lat̚˨]
|
|
j
|
j
|
y
|
[fɐt̚˨ tɔw˥ jɐw˨˧ fɔ˨˥]
|
|
k
|
g
|
[maj˨˧ siw˨˥ kin˧ siw˨˥]
|
|
kʰ
|
k
|
[kʰɛ˨˩ ŋɐw˨˩ wɐn˨˥ ma˨˧]
|
|
kʷ
|
gw
|
[mɔŋ˨ tʰin˥ ta˨˥ kʷa˧]
|
|
kʷʰ
|
kw
|
[kʷʰɛn˨˩ maj˨˩]
|
|
l
|
l
|
[fat̚˧ lɔŋ˥ lɐj˨˥]
|
|
m
|
m
|
[lɵɥ˨ jɐn˨˩ lɵɥ˨ mɐt̚˨]
|
|
n
|
n
|
[mej˨ jɐw˨˧ nɔj˨˥]
|
|
ŋ
|
ng
|
[taj˨ ŋɔn˥ tsi˨˥ ji˨˧]
|
|
p
|
b
|
[tsa˧ sɔ˨˩ pan˨ mʊŋ˨˥]
|
|
pʰ
|
p
|
[jɐt̚˥ pʰɔw˥ tsʰɪŋ˥ tɔj˨˥]
|
|
s
|
s
|
[lɔk̚˨ sɐw˨˥ lɔk̚˨ kœk̚˧]
|
|
t
|
d
|
[mɐn˥ tɔw˥ fɐn˧]
|
|
tʰ
|
t
|
[hɔw˨˥ hɔw˨˥ tʰɐj˨˥ tʰɐj˨˥]
|
|
ts
|
z
|
j
|
[lin˨ tsɛŋ˥ hɔk̚˨ lan˨˧]
|
|
tsʰ
|
c
|
ch
|
[mɔw˨˩ tsʰɪŋ˨˩ pak̚˨ si˨]
|
|
w
|
w
|
[wa˨ tɐk̚˥ maj˨˩]
|
|
| Vocalic finals
|
| IPA
|
J
|
Y
|
Examples
|
|
a
|
aa
|
a
|
[ŋɔn˥ lɔk̚˨ tsʰa˨˩ fan˨]
|
|
aj
|
aai
|
[jɐn˨˩ sɐj˧ kʷɐj˨˥ taj˨]
|
|
aw
|
aau
|
[lɔw˨˧ maw˥ siw˥ sɔw˥]
|
|
ɛ
|
e
|
[fɔ˨˥ tsɛ˥ ŋan˨˧]
|
|
ej
|
ei
|
[lɐm˨˩ mej˨˧ hœŋ˥]
|
|
ɐj
|
ai
|
[tsɐt̚˨ tʰɐw˨˩ tsɐt̚˨ sɐj˧]
|
|
ɐw
|
au
|
[ŋan˧ tsɐw˧]
|
|
i
|
i
|
[tɪŋ˨ si˨˩ tɪŋ˨ hɐw˨]
|
|
iw
|
iu
|
[tiw˧ jɐn˨˧]
|
|
ɔ
|
o
|
[tsɔw˨ mɔ˨ sɐm˥]
|
|
œ
|
oe
|
eu
|
[kœ˧ pʰa˨˥]
|
|
ɔj
|
oi
|
[pɔ˥ lɔ˨˩ kɔj˧]
|
|
ɔw
|
ou
|
[tsɔw˨ hɔw˨˥ tsɔw˨ tsʰɐw˨˥]
|
|
ɵɥ
|
eoi
|
eui
|
[jɐm˨˥ paw˨˥ sɪk̚̚˨ tsɵɥ˧]
|
|
u
|
u
|
[ku˥ mɐt̚˨ lɵn˨]
|
|
uj
|
ui
|
[muj˨˩ fa˥ kan˧ tsʊk̚˥]
|
|
y
|
yu
|
[mɔk̚˥ kʷɔŋ˥ tsy˥]
|
|
| Nasal finals
|
| IPA
|
J
|
Y
|
Examples
|
|
-m
|
m
|
m
|
[pun˨˥ tej˨ kœŋ˥ m˨˩ lat̚˨]
|
|
am
|
aam
|
[ŋam˨˩ tsʰam˨˩]
|
|
ɐm
|
am
|
[jɐm˨˥ tʰɐw˨˩ tam˨ tʰɔŋ˥]
|
|
im
|
im
|
[tsim˥ hɔn˨˩ tsim˥ tʊŋ˧]
|
|
-n
|
an
|
aan
|
[mej˨˩ tsɪŋ˥ ŋan˨˧ kʰej˨˧]
|
|
ɐn
|
an
|
[jɐw˨˧ mɐn˨˩ jɐw˨˧ lɔw˨]
|
|
in
|
in
|
[lɐj˨˧ ji˥ pin˥]
|
|
ɵn
|
eon
|
eun
|
[nɐw˨˥ tsɵn˨ lʊk̚˨ jɐm˨˩]
|
|
ɔn
|
on
|
[fat̚˧ tsʰin˨˥ hɔn˨˩]
|
|
un
|
un
|
[mɔ˨˥ mun˨˩ tɛŋ˥]
|
|
yn
|
yun
|
[ŋan˨˧ jyn˥]
|
|
-ŋ
|
ŋ
|
ng
|
[ŋ˨˧ ŋ˨˧ pɔ˥]
|
|
aŋ
|
aang
|
[haŋ˨˩ tsʰa˥ tap̚˨ tsʰɔ˧]
|
|
ɐŋ
|
ang
|
[tsɐŋ˨ hɪŋ˧]
|
|
ɛŋ
|
eng
|
[fɐn˧ lɐj˨˥ kɛŋ˨˥]
|
|
ɪŋ
|
ing
|
[tsi˥ tsi˥ tsɪŋ˨˥ tsɪŋ˨˥]
|
|
ɔŋ
|
ong
|
[mɔw˨˧ sɐm˥ tsɔŋ˥ tsɔj˧]
|
|
œŋ
|
oeng
|
eung
|
[jim˨˩ mɛŋ˨ tsʰœŋ˨˩]
|
|
ʊŋ
|
ung
|
[kan˧ tsʊŋ˥]
|
|
| Checked finals
|
| IPA
|
J
|
Y
|
Examples
|
|
-p̚
|
ap̚
|
aap
|
[mɔw˨˧ tap̚˧ sap̚˧]
|
|
ɐp̚
|
ap
|
[lɔk̚˨ jy˨˧ si˥ sɐp̚˥]
|
|
ip̚
|
ip
|
[tip̚˨ mai˨˩ sɐm˥ sɵɥ˨˥]
|
|
-t̚
|
at̚
|
aat
|
[lat̚˨ tʰat̚˧]
|
|
ɐt̚
|
at
|
[tɔŋ˨ sɐt̚˥ lɔw˨]
|
|
it̚
|
it
|
[pɔk̚˨ tsʰit̚˥ tsʰit̚˥]
|
|
ɵt̚
|
eot
|
eut
|
[tsɵt̚˥ tsi˥]
|
|
ɔt̚
|
ot
|
[hɔt̚˧ si˨˧]
|
|
ut̚
|
ut
|
[ŋan˨˧ fut̚˧ tʰɔw˨˧ tsak̚˧]
|
|
yt̚
|
yut
|
[wat̚˨ lyt̚˥ lyt̚˥]
|
|
-k̚
|
ak̚
|
aak
|
[mej˨˩ tʰɐw˨˩ ŋan˨˧ ŋak̚˨]
|
|
ɐk̚
|
ak
|
[jɐt̚˥ jɐt̚˨ tɔw˧ hɐk̚˥]
|
|
ɛk̚
|
ek
|
[mɔ˨˩ lan˨ tsɛk̚˨]
|
|
ɪk̚
|
ik
|
[tɪk̚̚˥ hej˨˥ sɐm˥ kɔn˥]
|
|
œk̚
|
oek
|
euk
|
[tsɔw˨˥ tsɐw˨˥ tsɔw˨˥ tsœk̚˨]
|
|
ɔk̚
|
ok
|
[tɔw˨˥ tsʰin˨˥ lɔk̚˨ hɔj˨˥]
|
|
ʊk̚
|
uk
|
[pʊk̚˨ ji˥ jɐn˥]
|
|
| Tones
|
| IPA
|
Numeric
contours
|
J
|
Y
|
Examples
|
|
˥
|
55
|
◌1
|
ū
|
[tɪŋ˨˥ sɐm˥ tɪŋ˨˥ fɐj˧]
|
|
˨˥
|
25
|
◌2
|
ú
|
[wɐj˥ sɵɥ˨˥ si˨˥]
|
|
˧
|
33
|
◌3
|
u
|
[lʊŋ˥ lʊŋ˥ la˧ la˧]
|
|
˨˩
|
21
|
◌4
|
ùh
|
[jim˨˩ tsʰin˨˥ sɛŋ˥]
|
|
˨˧
|
23
|
◌5
|
úh
|
[mɔw˨˧ ŋa˨˧ tse˥ tʰɐw˨˩]
|
|
˨
|
22
|
◌6
|
uh
|
[wa˨ tʰɐw˨˩ sɪŋ˨˥ mej˨˧]
|
|
-
This list of consonant inventories and vowel inventories are based on 香港粵語大詞典 (2018). 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) and 香港粵語大詞典 (2018).
-
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).
-
Omitted when it precedes the nucleus [y].
-
[s] appears as [ʃ] in other sources.
-
[ts] appears as [tʃ] in other sources.
-
[tsʰ] appears as [tʃʰ] in other sources.
-
The gliding non-syllables may be less explicitly transcribed with syllables, such that the non-syllabic [j] represented as syallbic [i], [w] as [u], and [ɥ] as [y].
-
[ɵ] appears as [ø] in other soruces.
-
The so-called 7th, 8th and 9th tones are not officially marked as such in Jyutping (J) and Yale romanization (Y). They are officially marked as the 1st, 3rd and 6th tones respectively.
References
-
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.
-
Matthews, Stephen; Yip, Virginia (2011). Cantonese: A Comprehensive Grammar, 2nd edition. New York: Routledge. p. 461-463.
-
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