Gwoyeu Romatzyh

This page gives charts of the basic spelling conventions used for writing Mandarin Chinese according to the Gwoyeu Romatzyh romanization system, which features tonal spellings.

Initials in Gwoyeu Romatzyh

place manner
   unaspirated
stops
 aspirated
stops
 nasals   fricatives   voiced
continuants 
labials b p m f  
dentals d t n   l
dental sibilants tz ts   s  
retroflexes jr chr   shr r
palatals ji chi   shi  
gutturals g k (ng) h Ø

Finals in Gwoyeu Romatzyh

medial ending
  open ending -i -u -n -ng -l
  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
row-a y a e ai ei au ou an en ang eng ong el
row-i i ia ie iai   iau iou ian in iang ing iong  
row-u u ua uo uai uei     uan uen uang ueng    
row-iu iu   iue         iuan iun        

Rules for Tonal Spellings

1st tone:

2nd tone:

3rd tone:

4th tone:

Supplementary rules:

Gwoyeu Romatzyh finals in all tones

row tone ending
    zero -i -u -n -ng -l
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
a 1 y a e ai ei au ou an en ang eng ong el
2 yr ar er air eir aur our arn ern arng erng orng erl
3 yy aa ee ae eei ao oou aan een aang eeng oong eel
4 yh ah eh ay ey aw ow ann enn anq enq onq ell
i 1 i ia oe (yai)   iau iou ian in iang ing iong  
2 yi ya ye     yau you yan yn yang yng yong  
-3 ii ea iee     eau eou ean iin eang iing eong  
-4 ih iah ieh     iaw iow iann inn ianq inq ionq  
3 yii yea yee     yeau yeou yean yiin yeang yiing yeong  
4 yih yah yeh     yaw yow yann yinn yanq yinq yonq  
u 1 u ua uo uai uei     an en ang ueng    
2 wu wa wo wai wei     arn ern arng      
-3 uu oa uoo oai oei     aan een aang      
-4 uh uah uoh uay uey     ann enn anq      
3 wuu woa woo woai woei     woan woen woang (woeng)    
4 wuh wah who way wey     wann wenn wanq wenq    
iu 1 iu   ieu         iuan iun        
2 yu   yue         yuan yun        
-3 eu   eue         euan eun        
-4 iuh   iueh         iuann iunn        
3 yeu             yeuan yeun        
4 yuh   yueh         yuann yunn        

Retroflex Finals

  tone ending
    zero -i -u -n -ng
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
a 1 el al e'l al el aul oul al el angl engl ongl
2 erl arl er'l arl erl aurl ourl arl erl arngl erngl orngl
3 eel aal ee'l aal eel aol ooul aal eel aangl eengl oongl
4 ell all ehl all ell awl owl all ell anql enql onql
i 1 iel ial ie'l     iaul ioul ial iel iangl iengl iongl
2 yel yal ye'l yal   yaul youl yal yel yangl yengl yongl
-3 ieel eal ieel     eaul eoul eal ieel eangl ieengl eongl
-4 iell iall iell     iawl iowl iall iell ianql ienql ionql
3 yeel yeal yeel     yeaul yeoul yeal yeel yeangl yeengl yeongl
4 yell yall yell     yawl yowl yall yell yanql yenql yonql
u 1 ul ual uol uai uei     ual uel uangl uengl  
2 wul wal wol wal wel     wal wel wangl    
-3 uul oal uool oal oel     oal oel oangl    
-4 ull uall uoll uall uell     uall uell uanql    
3 wuul woal wool woal woel     woal woel woangl woengl  
4 wull wall woll wall well     wall well wanql wenql  
iu 1 iuel   iue'l         iual iuel      
2 yuel   yue'l         yual yuel      
-3 euel   euel         eual euel      
-4 iuell   iuell         iuall iuell      
3 yeuel             yeual yeuel      
4 yuell   yuell         yuall yuell