I. Syllables without initials

 

The conventions for representing syllables withou initial consonants are as follows.

1. In the first row, no special rules.

2. In the "i" row: change i to y

 ** Exceptions: i goes to yi

iu goes to you

in goes to yin

ing goes to ying

 Thus:

3. In the "ü" row: prefix with y

4. In the "u" row: change u to w

**Exceptions: u goes to wu

ui goes to wei

uen goes to wen

Thus:

II. Exceptional chart spellings (applied in syllables with initial consonants)

1. * where you would expect uei instead write ui (without initial = wei)

* where you would expect iou instead write iu (without initial = you)

* where you would expect uen instead write un (without initial = wen)

2. The final uo reduced to o after the initials b, p, m, f:

thus: bo po mo fo (vs. duo zhuo zuo kuo guo)

III. Drop the umlaut except in syllables beginning with l and n.

lü : "green" .................... lu : "road"

nü : "female"................. nu :"diligent" (not actually a single syllable word)

• beginning [bi´giniŋ]   n.开始，开端；起源   (初中英语单词)
• actually [´æktʃuəli]   ad.事实上；实际上   (初中英语单词)
• initial [i´niʃəl]   a.最初的 n.首字母   (高中英语单词)
• syllable [´siləbəl]   n.音节；只言片语   (高中英语单词)
• exceptional [ik´sepʃənəl]   a.异常的，特别的   (英语四级单词)