Sounds & Jyutping

Meet the sounds of Cantonese, and the letters that spell them out.

Jyutping spells out Cantonese sounds using letters you already know. The letters look familiar, but many of the sounds will be brand new to you!

Our goal is to get you reading real Cantonese fast. You do not have to memorize anything here. The sounds will come to you as you read.

Every Cantonese syllable has a starting sound, an ending sound, and a number for the tone.

The number always sits at the very end, after all the letters. It does not change how the letters sound. It only changes the melody you say them on.