pronouncekit

FINAL

u: high back rounded vowel

Mandarin u is firmly rounded and high, as in bù and wǔ. Learn when it is spelled wu and when written u really means ü.

u
Broad IPA
[u]

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

Same rounded lips; move the tongue forward for the second word.

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

Pinyin u is a tense, well-rounded back vowel. On its own it is written wu. After j, q, x and y the letter u stands for ü.

What your mouth is doing

The back of the tongue rises toward the soft palate, the lips round and push forward slightly, and the jaw is nearly closed.

Compared with English

English oo in food is a good cue, but many English accents move it forward or glide into it. Keep Mandarin u back and steady, without the relaxed vowel of book.

Build the sound, step by step

  1. Round your lips and say a long oo with your tongue pulled back.
  2. Hold wǔ steady, following the third tone.
  3. Say bù, dú and gǔ with the same vowel.

What to watch for

  • The lax vowel of book makes bù sound weak. Tighten the lips.
  • Reading ju, qu or xu with this vowel is wrong; those contain ü.

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