Pronunciation · Starter · 22 pages
Build Pinyin Syllables: Chart & Spelling Guide
Assemble common Standard Mandarin pinyin syllables from legal initial–final groupings, then apply the spelling changes that make a finished syllable look different from its parts.
Download free PDFNo signup. No email form. Version 1.0, updated 2026-08-26.
What’s inside
- A grouped common-learner final inventory
- Legal initial–final families with clearly labeled exceptions
- Zero-initial spellings with y and w
- The j q x plus ü dot-removal rule
- Contractions for iou, uei, and uen
- Tone-mark placement and apostrophe boundaries
- Closed validity and assembly practice with complete answers
What you’ll practice
- Decide whether a common initial–final combination belongs to the SayMei learner chart
- Convert analytic final labels into conventional spellings such as liu, gui, you, and yuan
- Explain why ju contains an underlying ü sound while lu and lü stay distinct
- Place a tone mark on the correct written vowel
- Insert an apostrophe when a following a-, o-, or e-initial syllable needs a visible boundary
Sample lines
- 丢 · d + iou + 1 → diū · lose (After an initial, iou contracts to iu; in iu, the tone mark goes on the second written vowel.)
- 全 · q + üan + 2 → quán · whole; all (After q, the dots disappear in writing, but the final remains the ü-family final üan.)
- 西安 · Xī'ān · Xi'an (The apostrophe keeps the second syllable ān visibly separate.)
Frequently asked questions
Is this every syllable ever heard in Mandarin?
It matches SayMei's common learner chart. Rare, dialectal, interjection-only, and name-specific extensions are outside this compact reference, so an absent form means ‘not in this learner chart,’ not ‘impossible in every context.’
Are y and w ordinary initials here?
In the zero-initial spelling rules on page 4, y and w make a vowel-initial syllable easier to read; they are spelling devices rather than additional consonant initials in the 21-initial inventory.
Why is ü written without dots after j, q, and x?
Those initials do not combine with the contrasting u-series in Standard Mandarin, so the dots can be omitted without ambiguity: jü, qü, and xü are written ju, qu, and xu. After n and l, keep the dots when needed because nu/nü and lu/lü contrast.
Can this chart teach me how the syllables sound?
No. A chart teaches structure and spelling. English approximations are also only rough starting points. Accurate pronunciation needs audio models, physical articulation cues, and ideally informed feedback.
Keep practicing
Hear syllables in the interactive pinyin chart · Browse all free downloads
The grouping and spelling rules follow the official Hanyu Pinyin scheme and current national orthography standard; the scope is explicitly limited to SayMei's common learner chart, and print is never presented as a substitute for sound or articulation feedback.