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How to Pronounce y, w in Mandarin
Two glide sounds that begin syllables starting with i, u or ü.
Quick answer
y sounds like English ‘y’ in ‘yes’, and w sounds like English ‘w’ in ‘we’. They lead into a vowel.
y
w
Hear each sound, then repeat it aloud.
When to use it
y and w appear at the start of syllables built from i, u and ü (like yī, wǒ, yǔ).
Common mistake
y and w are glide
s into the vowel, not hard consonants — keep them smooth and light.
Practise aloud
一 one
我 I
You’ve got this!
y and w are gentle glides. Say each one and let it slide straight into the vowel, as in yī (one) or wǒ (I).