pronouncekit

FINAL

-i: empty i after z c s and zh ch sh r

After z, c, s, zh, ch, sh and r, pinyin i is not ee. Learn the buzzing vowel in sī and shī that continues the consonant.

-i
Broad IPA
[ɹ̩] [ɻ̩]

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.

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

Three tongue positions, one letter i: forward, retroflex and blade high.

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

Teachers often call this the empty i. The letter is the same as the i in bǐ, but the sound simply continues the tongue position of the consonant, with voice added.

What your mouth is doing

After z, c and s the tongue stays forward, near the upper teeth. After zh, ch, sh and r it stays raised and drawn back. Voice flows through a narrow space, without moving toward ee.

Compared with English

English has no match. Hold an English z and open slightly for the zi kind; hold the r in her and relax it for the shi kind. Do not read these as “see” or “she”.

Build the sound, step by step

  1. Hold a long s, then add voice without moving your tongue: sī.
  2. Hold a long Mandarin sh, then add voice: shī.
  3. Alternate sī and shī, then contrast them with xī.

What to watch for

  • Saying “see” for sī or “she” for shī uses the wrong vowel.
  • Adding a schwa, as in “suh” or “shuh”, opens the mouth too far.

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