2Speak Cantonese Starter will teach you the foundational structure and essential vocabulary of the Cantonese language.
More info...
2Speak Cantonese Complete starts from the very beginning levels of the language to complete fluency.
More info...
Romanization Conversion
Because Cantonese is a colloquial language, there is a lot of inconsistency on how to write it in Latin letters. For this site, we have developed our own Romanization, along with IPA-style tone symbols.
Kisa: Romanization used on this website (www.cantonese.ca)
IPA: International Phonetic Alphabet (Handbook of the International Phonetic Association)
Lau: Sidney Lau Cantonese Series
Yale: English-Cantonese in Yale Romanization
Jyutping: yüt
pIng
standardized by the Linguistic Society of Hong Kong
CPB: Lonely Planet Cantonese Phrasebook
Tones
| Kisa/IPA |
Lau |
Yale |
Jyutping |
CPB |
 |
1, o |
à,  |
1 | à |
 |
2, * |
á | 2 | á |
|
3 |
a | 3 | |
 |
4 |
àh | 4 | a |
 |
5 |
áh | 5 |  |
|
6 |
ah | 6 |  |
Initials
| Kisa | IPA |
Lau |
Yale | Jyutping |
CPB |
|---|
| b |
p |
b | b | b | b |
| p |
ph |
p | p | p | p |
| m |
m | m | m | m |
m |
| f |
f |
f | f | f | f |
| d |
t |
d | d | d | d |
| t |
th |
t | t | t | t |
| l |
l |
l | l | l | l |
| g |
k |
g | g | g | g |
| k |
kh |
k | k | k | k |
| h |
h |
h | h | h | h |
| dz |
ts |
j | j | z | j |
| ts |
tsh |
ch | ch | c | ch |
| s |
s |
s | s | s | s |
| y |
j |
y | y | j | y |
| w |
w |
w | w | w | w |
| gw |
kw |
gw | gw | gw | gw |
| kw |
kwh |
kw | kw | kw | kw |
Finals
| Kisa | IPA |
Lau |
Yale | Jyutping |
CPB |
|---|
| a | a | a |
a |
aa |
a |
| ai | ai | aai |
aai |
aai |
aai |
| au | au | aau |
aau |
aau |
aau |
| am | am | aam |
aam |
aam |
aam |
| an | an | aan |
aap |
aan |
aan |
| ang | a | aang |
aang |
aang |
aang |
| ap | ap | aap |
aap |
aap |
aap |
| at | at | aat |
aat |
aat |
aat |
| ak | ak | aak |
aak |
aak |
aak |
| Kisa | IPA |
Lau |
Yale | Jyutping |
CPB |
|---|
 i |
i | ai |
ai |
ai |
ai |
| u | u | au |
au |
au |
au |
| m | | am |
am |
am |
am |
| n | n | an |
an |
an |
an |
| ng | | ang |
ang |
ang |
ang |
| p | p | ap |
ap |
ap |
ap |
| t | t | at |
at |
at |
at |
| k | k | ak |
ak |
ak |
ak |
| Kisa | IPA |
Lau |
Yale | Jyutping |
CPB |
|---|
|
o |
 | oh |
o |
o |
oh |
| oi | i | oi |
oi |
oi |
oi |
| ou | ou | o |
ou |
ou |
o |
| on | n | on |
on |
on |
on |
| ong | | ong |
ong |
ong |
ong |
| ot | t | ot |
ot |
ot |
ot |
| ok | k | ok |
ok |
ok |
ok |
| Kisa | IPA |
Lau |
Yale | Jyutping |
CPB |
|---|
|
e |
 | e |
e |
e |
e |
| ei | ei | ei |
ei |
ei |
ei |
| eu | u | |
|
eu |
|
| eng | | eng |
eng |
eng |
eng |
| ek | k | ek |
ek |
ek |
ek |
| Kisa | IPA |
Lau |
Yale | Jyutping |
CPB |
|---|
|
i |
i | i |
i |
i |
i |
| iu | iu | iu |
iu |
iu |
iu |
| im | im | im |
im |
im |
im |
| in | in | in |
in |
in |
in |
| Ing |  | ing |
ing |
ing |
ing |
| ip | ip | ip |
ip |
ip |
ip |
| it | it | it |
it |
it |
it |
| Ik | k | ik |
ik |
ik |
ik |
| Kisa | IPA |
Lau |
Yale | Jyutping |
CPB |
|---|
|
œ | oe | euh |
eu |
oe |
euh |
| öü |  y | ui |
eui |
eoi |
ui |
| ön | n | un |
eun |
eon |
un |
| œng | oe | eung |
eung |
oeng |
eung |
| öt | t | ut |
eut |
eot |
ut |
| œk | oek | euk |
euk |
oek |
euk |
| Kisa | IPA |
Lau |
Yale | Jyutping |
CPB |
|---|
|
u |
u | oo |
u |
u |
oo |
| ui | ui | ooi |
ui |
ui |
ooi |
| un | un | oon |
un |
un |
oon |
| Ung |  | ung |
ung |
ung |
ung |
| ut | ut | oot |
ut |
ut |
oot |
| Uk | k | uk |
uk |
uk |
uk |
| Kisa | IPA |
Lau |
Yale | Jyutping |
CPB |
|---|
|
ü |
y | ue |
yu |
yu |
ue |
| ün | yn | uen |
yun |
yun |
uen |
| üt | yt | uet |
yut |
yut |
uet |
| Kisa | IPA |
Lau |
Yale | Jyutping |
CPB |
|---|
|
m |
m | m |
m |
m |
m |
| ng |
| ng |
ng |
ng |
ng |
Back to Learn Cantonese
CantoneseClass101.com - Learn Cantonese with Free Podcasts