Cantonese Initials

Bilabials
Description voiceless unaspirated bilabial plosive voiceless aspirated bilabial plosive IPA p p Jyutping Example b p

p p

bilabial nasal

Labiodentals
Description voiceless labiodental fricative IPA f Jyutping Example f

fei

Labiovelars
Description labialized voiceless unaspirated velar plosive labialized voiceless aspirated velar plosive voiced labio-velar approximant IPA k k w Jyutping Example gw kw w

kn kn wn

Alveolars
Description voiceless unaspirated alveolar plosive voiceless aspirated alveolar plosive IPA t t Jyutping Example d t

tyn tu

voiceless unaspirated alveolar affricate

voiceless aspirated alveolar affricate voiceless alveolar fricative alveolar nasal alveolar lateral approximant

ts
ts s n l

z
c s n l

ts ts sm ni li

Alveolo-palatals
Description voiceless unaspirated alveolo-palatal affricate voiceless aspirated alveolo-palatal affricate IPA t t Jyutping Example (zh) (ch)

t t

voiceless alveolo-palatal fricative

Commonly merged with alveolars thus:

(sh)

Alveolo-palatal consonants become alveolars keeping their respective manners of articulation. + consonant + consonant + alveolopalatal + alveolar aspirated aspirated affricate affricate fricative fricative

Palatals
Description palatal approximant IPA j Jyutping Example j

ji

Velars
Description voiceless unaspirated velar plosive voiceless aspirated velar plosive IPA k k Jyutping Example g k

kin ki

velar nasal

ng

Glottals
Description voiceless unaspirated glottal plosive voiceless glottal fricative IPA h h Jyutping Example

n hiu