pronouncekit

FINAL

an: open vowel with front nasal

Learn to end an with the tongue tip on the ridge. Keep sān and sāng apart, and avoid the vowel of English man.

an
Broad IPA
[an]

Mouth & tongue

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Vocal folds: vibrating

TongueTeethUvula

Simplified human pronunciation. The small uvula hangs from the palate; it is not the vocal folds. The wave indicates voicing.

Nasal: the soft palate lowers; air exits the nose

Sound to demonstrate
Tone

High and level, around 55 on the five-level pitch scale.

Voice settings

The mouth starts slightly open. Movement is slowed for observation; the synthetic sound plays once at its original speed. Pause holds the current mouth shape; reset returns to the relaxed position. The panda is a symbolic teaching aid for human pronunciation, not animal anatomy. A simplified teaching model, not a measured or anatomically validated simulation. It shows the soft palate lowering for nasal sounds, but not airflow. Single syllables use eSpeak NG, a synthetic voice on your device. Its pitch range is narrower than natural speech, so use the tone diagrams and word buttons as well. Words and sentences use a voice from your browser or device when one is available. No native recordings are bundled.

Words to practice

Sentence to practice

Listen and compare

Finish each first word with the tongue tip on the ridge, and each second word with the tip resting low.

Pinyin here shows dictionary tones. Spoken tones change in some contexts, such as nǐ hǎo; see the lessons on tone changes.

What you are learning

Mandarin has two nasal endings, and the difference changes words. In an the tongue tip finishes on the ridge.

What your mouth is doing

The jaw opens for a forward a, then the tongue tip rises to the ridge as the voice moves into the nose. There is no release at the end.

Compared with English

The n of English can gives the ending, but English man uses a vowel that is too far forward and too raised. Keep a more open.

Build the sound, step by step

  1. Say a, then touch your tongue tip to the ridge and hum.
  2. Hold the ending without opening your mouth again.
  3. Say sān, kàn and màn.

What to watch for

  • Letting the tongue slide back gives ang.
  • Adding a vowel after n, as in “sa-nuh”, adds a syllable.

Related lessons

Keep practicing

References & editorial notes

PronounceKit wrote this lesson as practical guidance for English speakers, based on the references below. The comparisons are editorial teaching suggestions. It describes common Mainland Standard Mandarin patterns, not every accent or regional variety, and it has not been independently reviewed by a pronunciation specialist or Mandarin teacher.

Published 5 November 2026