The six vowels in Pinyin pronunciation are listed in the following slide show. They will be read in the first tone, which sounds like a sustained sung note. Please listen and repeat after me.

1

Vowels

• The six vowels in Pinyin pronunciation are
  listed in the following slide show. They will be
  read in the first tone, which sounds like a
  sustained sung note. Please listen and repeat
  after me.

2
Vowels

• a
• It sounds like the noise you might make when
  your doctor is examining the inside of your
  mouth. Open your mouth wide and say aah.

3
Vowels

• o
• Push your lips forward into a small circle, with
  your tongue at the bottom of your mouth, leaving
  a hollow space above it. Say o. Your lips
  should make the shape they take when you say the
  English word law.

4
Vowels

• e
• Make a sound as if you have seen something
  really disgusting ergh. When e is used with
  other vowels it can also be pronounced ê which
  is similar to e in the English word bed.

5
Vowels

• i
• Pull your lips slightly back and push your
  tongue up towards the hard palate without
  touching it. It is similar to the ea sound in
  the English word squeak.

6
Vowels

• u
• Push your lips forward and make a narrow gap
  through which your breath can vibrate. Your lips
  should take the shape they make when you say the
  word fool.

7
Vowels

• u
• It is similar to the umlaut ü in German or the
  French u. Say ee through tightly pursed lips
  (form the shape they make when you say the sh
  of the English word fish).

8
Vowels

• If you read the vowels in the following order,
  you will notice that the gap between your lips
  will gradually get narrower.
• a o e i u u

9
Vowels

• When you have learnt how to pronounce these
  vowels individually, you can try to read out some
  combined vowels. I will read out the following
  groups of vowels in the first tone.

10
Vowels

• ao

11
Vowels

• ai

12
Vowels

• ua
• NB if a word begins with u the written form
  is w, so ua would be written wa but still
  pronounced ua.

13
Vowels

• ia
• NB if a word begins with i the written form
  is y, so ia would be written ya but still
  pronounced ia.

14
Vowels

• There are some irregular features in Pinyin
  pronunciation. When the vowel e comes before or
  after the vowels i and u, it should be pronounced
  e as in bed. Let's read the following 3
  examples in the first tone.

15
Vowels

• ei

16
Vowels

• ie
• NB if a word begins with i the written form
  is y, so ie would be written ye but still
  pronounced ie.

17
Vowels

• üe
• NB if a word begins with ü the written form is
  y, so üe would be written yue but still
  pronounced üe.

18
Vowels

• When o is followed by u, the pronunciation of
  o is similar to the English letter "o". Listen
  and repeat after me.

19
Vowels

• ou

20
Vowels

• I am going to read two groups of combined
  vowels that are written in an abbreviated form.
  Please listen and repeat carefully after me.

21
Vowels

• iu
• NB if a word begins with i the written form
  is y, so the Pinyin for iu would be written you.

22
Vowels

• ui
• NB if a word begins with u the written form
  is w, so ui would be written wei.