Cantonese characters are monosyllabic, and most consist of an 'initial' and a 'final.' However, memorizing every initial and final would be difficult, so this guide refers to consonants and vowels instead.

This guide is designed to help you pronounce Cantonese sounds accurately by comparing them with similar sounds in other languages you may be familiar with. Here’s how to use it:

1. Find the Cantonese Sound: Look for the Cantonese sound you are trying to pronounce in the first column (e.g., "f", "h", "j", etc.).

2. Refer to the examples:If you do not know IPA, you’ll find examples from different languages:

   • : British English (Received Pronunciation).
   • : Canadian English.
   • : Standard French.

   These examples offer familiar words that contain sounds similar to the Cantonese pronunciation. For example, to pronounce the Cantonese "b" sound, you can think of the word "bat" in English (RP/CA).

Consonants

Unpaired

f

far

h

hat

j

yes

l

law

m

man

n

not

ng

sing

s

sun

w

we

Paired

b buy	p pie
d ton	t tea
g go	k key
gw Gwen or Gwyneth	kw quick
z du	c lots or Nazi

Vowels

a

but

aa

are

e

fête

i

see

*ik

ick (unvoiced ending)

o

ore (long)

*ou

oh

eo

je (short)

oe

cœur

yu

rue