Pinyin (拼音) is the standard Roman-letter system for writing Mandarin pronunciation. Use this interactive Mandarin pinyin chart to find a syllable, see how its initial and final fit together, hear available tone readings, and listen to the same sound inside a real Chinese word.
Browse 403 common learner syllables
The chart groups 403 common written syllable forms by initial and final. It is a practical learner inventory, not a claim to include every rare, dialectal, or interjection-only form in the complete ISO standard. Blank cells show combinations outside this chart. The layout also makes spelling rules easier to spot: y and w mark syllables with no consonant initial, while written u after j, q, and x represents the ü final.
Hear attested tones, not invented nonwords
A valid base syllable does not automatically occur as a natural word in all four tones. The sound tray only shows recordings that are available for the selected spelling instead of filling the layout with empty controls. On desktop the tray stays above the chart; on a phone it opens over the chart and closes when you are ready to choose another sound.
Hear each syllable inside a real word
The word card draws from SayMei's Chinese dictionary and shows Hanzi, tone-marked pinyin, an English meaning, and stored word audio. Choose Another word to hear a different example for the same base syllable. Nearly every chart syllable has a multi-character example, which helps you compare a careful isolated reading with pronunciation in context.
Save what you practice
A tone is marked practiced only after its audio starts. Without an account, progress stays on the current device. Signed-in learners can sync practiced tones and save difficult syllables as trouble spots on their own profile. The chart does not record your microphone or score your pronunciation.
Build from pinyin into connected speech
Use the Chinese to Pinyin Converter to add tone-marked pinyin to Chinese text. Then check contextual changes with the Chinese Tone Sandhi Checker, or try your own speech in Chinese Pronunciation Diagnosis. You can also browse all free SayMei Mandarin tools.
Panda Tone Toss
Give your ears a little adventure
Hear a Mandarin word, find its tones, and send a plush panda flying toward the matching target.
- Listen to a word
- Choose its tones
- Aim and toss
Free to start
Play Panda Tone TossPlay in your browser · No account needed
Frequently asked questions
How should I use the Pinyin sound chart?
Choose one sound, compare every recording shown for it, then listen to the real-word example. Repeat the word aloud and save the sound if you want to return to it later.
What happens when I choose a pinyin sound?
The sound tray updates with the initial-plus-final breakdown, the recordings available for that spelling, a real-word example, and your practice state. On a phone, the same tray opens over the chart so you can close it and choose another sound.
Why are only some tones shown?
The tray only shows tone recordings that are available for the selected spelling. Some syllable-tone combinations are uncommon or do not have a clear recording yet, so the chart leaves them out instead of showing empty controls.
How do initials and finals work?
An initial is the consonant sound at the start of a Mandarin syllable. A final is the vowel or vowel-plus-ending that follows it. Each occupied chart cell combines one initial and one final into a pinyin spelling.
Can I search with tone marks or numbers?
Yes. Searches such as ma3 and mǎ both find ma, and lv finds lü. Press Enter to choose the closest matching chart sound, or use the filtered chart to select it yourself.