Interactive Pinyin Chart
Every sound in Mandarin, on one page. Click a syllable to open its four tones β see the tone shape, read an example word, and play the sound.
Every Mandarin syllable is an initial (the starting consonant β the rows) plus a final (the rest of the sound β the columns). Not every combination exists in the language; the filled cells below are the real ones β all of them. This is the same chart the free Bamboo Island app drills by ear.
Loading the chartβ¦
Click any filled cell β a panel opens with that syllable's tones. Each tone row shows the pitch ladder: tone 1 is a high flat line, tone 2 rises, tone 3 dips then rises, tone 4 falls. Tap βΆ to hear the example word (uses your browser's Chinese voice; if you don't hear anything, your browser has no Chinese voice installed β the chart still works as a visual reference).
Why do d and t look alike but sound different? Because Mandarin contrasts a puff of air, not voicing: d is the t of stay β no puff; t is the t of top β with a puff. The same split runs through b/p, g/k, z/c, zh/ch, j/q.
The ΓΌ column: after j, q, x and y the dots are written as u (ju, qu, xu, yuan) β but the sound is still ΓΌ. That's why ε· juΗn sits in the ΓΌan column.
Every sound in this chart has a picture and a story in the app's Remember module β initials are people, finals are places, tones are family voices, and all 214 radicals have pictures too. Browse the complete library with audio: The Remember Libraries β
Practice these sounds by ear in the free app β
Remember β pictures for every sound and radical β
Getting Started β your first five minutes β