Each syllable consists of the following: <0 or more initials> + <1 nucleus> + <0 or more codas> + <tone>
Tones are identical to normal jyutping.
| initial | IPA | example |
|---|---|---|
| b | /p/ | 巴 baa1 |
| p | /pʰ/ | 趴 paa1 |
| m | /m/ | 媽 maa1 |
| f | /f/ | 花 faa1 |
| d | /t/ | 打 daa1 |
| t | /tʰ/ | 他 taa1 |
| n | /n/ | 拿 naa4 |
| l | /l/ | 啦 laa1 |
| r | /ɹ/ | ren ren1 |
| g | /k/ | 加 gaa1 |
| k | /kʰ/ | 卡 kaa1 |
| ng | /ŋ/ | 牙 ngaa4 |
| h | /h/ | 蝦 haa1 |
| gw | /kʷ/ | 瓜 gwaa1 |
| kw | /kʰʷ/ | 誇 kwaa1 |
| w | /w/ | 蛙 waa1 |
| z | /ts/ | 渣 zaa1 |
| zh | /tʃ/ | G zhi1 |
| c | /tsʰ/ | 叉 caa1 |
| ch | /tʃʰ/ | |
| s | /s/ | 沙 saa1 |
| sh | /ʃ/ | |
| j | /j/ | 也 jaa2 |
| coda | IPA | example | notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| sb | /sp/ | spec spek6 | not st |
| sd | /st/ | stat sdet6 status sdei1 tas4 |
not st |
| sg | /sk/ | not sk | |
| sm | /sm/ | small potato smo1 pou6 tei1 tou4 | |
| br | /pɹ/ | 放break fong3 brik1 | |
| pl | /pʰl/ | 呼吸plan fu1 kap1 plen1 | |
| fr | /fɹ/ | friend fren1 | |
| tr | /tʰɹ/ | trigo trik1 gou2 |
| nucleus | IPA | example | notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| aa | /aː/ | 沙 saa1 | |
| a | /ɐ/ | 心 sam1 | |
| e | /ɛː/ | 些 se1 | |
| /e/ | 四 sei3 | when followed by i | |
| o | /ɔː/ | 梳 so1 | |
| /o/ | 蘇 sou1 | when followed by u | |
| i | /iː/ | 思 si1 | |
| /ɪ/ | 色 sik1 | when followed by ng or k | |
| u | /iː/ | 思 si1 | |
| /ɪ/ | 色 sik1 | when followed by ng or k | |
| oe | /œː/ | 靴 hoe1 | |
| eo | /ɵ/ | 詢 seon1 | |
| yu | /yː/ | 書 syu1 | |
| m | /m̩/ | 唔 m4 | no coda is allowed |
| ng | /ŋ̩/ | 五 ng5 |
| coda | IPA | example | notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| i | /i̯/ | 西 sai1 | |
| /y̯/ | 需 seoi1 | when following eo | |
| u | /u̯/ | 收 sau1 | |
| m | /m/ | 心 sam1 | |
| n | /n/ | 新 san1 | |
| ng | /ŋ/ | 生 sang1 | |
| p | /p̚/ | 濕 sap1 | |
| t | /t̚/ | 失 sat1 | |
| k | /k̚/ | 塞 sak1 | |
| q | /ʔ/ | ||
| f | /f/ | F ef1 curve koef1 | |
| s | /s/ | S es1 worse woes1 | |
| zh | /tʃ/ | judge zhazh1 | |
| ch | /tʃʰ/ | match mech1 touch wood tach1 wut1 | |
| sh | /ʃ/ | push push1 |
| coda | IPA | example | notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ks | /k̚s/ | mix miks1 | |
| if | /i̯f/ | live laaif1 |