pronouncekit

INITIAL

p: aspirated lip stop

Pinyin p needs a strong puff of air. Learn how aspiration separates pà from bà, and how to check it with a tissue.

p
Broad IPA
[pʰ]

Mouth & tongue

Enable JavaScript to view the 3D panda. Pronunciation steps remain available below.

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

Use a tissue: it should jump on the first word and stay still on the second.

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 p has the same lip closure as b, followed by a clear burst of breath. That breath alone changes the word.

What your mouth is doing

The lips close, air builds, and the release lets a strong stream of air out before the voice begins. The vowel starts late.

Compared with English

English p at the start of a stressed syllable, as in pie, is a good match. Keep that puff even in unstressed positions, because Mandarin keeps it where English may weaken it, as in happy.

Build the sound, step by step

  1. Say pie with a hand in front of your mouth and feel the air.
  2. Say pā, delaying the vowel until the air has left.
  3. Say pá, pǎ and pà with the same strength of air on every tone.

What to watch for

  • A weak puff makes pǎo (to run) sound like bǎo (full). Exaggerate at first.
  • Do not add a vowel after the burst in words like pǔtōnghuà; the u follows directly.

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