Learn to pronounce the bilabial and labio-dental consonants: b vs p vs m vs f
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| This is the b sound, and this is the p sound, this is the m sound, and this is the f sound. |
| By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to tell them apart, PLUS you'll be practicing them and on your way to perfect pronunciation! |
| I'm YangYun, and this is Chinese Pronunciation Through Minimal Pairs. |
| The first is b. This is the sound in words like bā 八, bái 白, bēi 杯. |
| 八 "eight," 白 "white," 杯 "cup." |
| P is the sound in pà 怕, péi 陪, pǎo 跑 and other words. |
| 怕 "afraid," 陪 "to accompany," 跑 "to run." |
| M is the sound in mā 妈, mō 摸, māo 猫 and other words. |
| 妈 "mom," 摸 "to touch," 猫 "cat." |
| F is the sound in fà 发, fēi 飞, fú 福 and other words. |
| 发 "hair," 飞 "to fly," 福 "luck." |
| These four sounds are generally not difficult for native English speakers because they all exist in English. However, the subtle difference between b and p can pose a challenge. Let's take a closer look: |
| The b sound is similar to the p sound in the English "span;" notice that this sound is NOT voiced, and your vocal folds shouldn't vibrate when pronouncing this sound. |
| b |
| [3 sec pause] |
| b (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| b |
| b |
| [3 sec pause] |
| b (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| b |
| The Chinese p sound is similar to p in the English "pie," but with a stronger puff of air. |
| p |
| [3 sec pause] |
| p (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| p |
| p |
| [3 sec pause] |
| p (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| p |
| The difference between b and p is mainly in the aspiration: the b sound has little to no burst of air, while the p sound has a strong puff of air when pronounced. |
| m is a nasal sound. It is the same sound as the English m in "mat." |
| To make the m sound: |
| The lips are closed and curled slightly inward. |
| Push air through the nose. |
| m |
| [3 sec pause] |
| m (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| m |
| m |
| [3 sec pause] |
| m (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| m |
| F is a fricative; the same sound as the English f in "fat." |
| To make the f sound, rest the front of the upper teeth on the lower lip. |
| The lower lip may curl slightly. |
| Blow air out of your mouth, pushing it through the space between your teeth and lower lip. |
| f |
| [3 sec pause] |
| f (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| f |
| f |
| [3 sec pause] |
| f (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| f |
| Listen and repeat or speak along with me. |
| Ready? |
| bā/pā |
| (space for repetition) |
| bā/pā |
| bāo/māo |
| (space for repetition) |
| bāo/māo |
| mā/fā |
| (space for repetition) |
| mā/fā |
| pēi/fēi |
| (space for repetition) |
| pēi/fēi |
| Let's review. Respond to the prompts by speaking aloud. Then, repeat after me, focusing on pronunciation. |
| Do you remember the sound that has little or no burst of air? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| b |
| (1) |
| b |
| Do you remember the sound with a strong air puff when pronounced? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| p |
| (1) |
| p |
| Do you remember the nasal sound? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| m |
| (1) |
| m |
| And do you remember the fricative? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| f |
| (1) |
| f |
| Let's practice. |
| Compare the sounds in these two words. Which word has the b sound, and which has the p sound? |
| 饱/跑 |
| ("full"/"to run") |
| (1) |
| 饱/跑 |
| ("full"/"to run") |
| (1) |
| 饱 bǎo has the b sound, and 跑 pǎo has the p sound. |
| Let's try another. Which word has the b sound, and which has the p sound? |
| (3 sec pause) |
| 怕/爸 |
| ("afraid"/"dad") |
| (1) |
| 怕/爸 |
| ("afraid"/"dad") |
| (1) |
| 爸 bà has the b sound, and 怕 pà has the p sound. |
| Which word has the m sound, and which has the f sound? |
| (3 sec pause) |
| 慢/饭 |
| ("slow"/"rice") |
| (1) |
| 慢/饭 |
| ("slow"/"rice") |
| (1) |
| 慢 màn has the m sound, and 饭 fàn has the f sound. |
| Now, listen to the following sentences. |
| Choose the words that fit in the blanks. |
| (1 sec pause) |
| 肚子_了。(Dù zi _ le.) |
| A 跑 pǎo |
| B 饱 bǎo |
| (3 sec pause) |
| The answer is: B 饱 bǎo |
| (3 sec pause) |
| 肚子饱了。Dù zi bǎo le. |
| "The stomach is full." |
| (3 sec pause) |
| 兔子_了。 Tù zi _ le. |
| A 跑 pǎo |
| B 饱 bǎo |
| (3 sec pause) |
| The answer is: A 跑 pǎo |
| (3 sec pause) |
| 兔子跑了。Tù zi pǎo le. |
| "The rabbit ran away." |
| _子有点厚。 _ zi yǒu diǎn hòu. |
| A 配 pèi |
| B 被 bèi |
| (3 sec pause) |
| The answer is: B 被 bèi |
| (3 sec pause) |
| 被子有点厚。Bèi zi yǒu diǎn hòu. |
| "The quilt is a bit thick." |
| By the way, if you watched til the end |
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