Master the pronunciation for the alveolo-palatal affricates and fricative: j vs q vs x
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| This is the j sound, this is the q sound, and this is the x 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 j. This is the sound in jī 鸡, jiā 家, jūn 军. |
| jī 鸡 "chicken," jiā 家 "home," jūn 军 "army." |
| Q is the sound in qī 七, qiān 千, qún 裙. |
| qī 七 "seven," qiān 千 "thousand," qún 裙 "skirt." |
| X is the sound in xī 西, xiǎo 小, xiè 谢. |
| xī 西 "west," xiǎo 小 "small," xiè 谢 "gratitude." |
| These three sounds are also unfamiliar to native English speakers, but there are similar sounds in English that we can use to practice them. |
| J [tɕ] is an unaspirated alveolo-palatal affricate. |
| It is similar to the j in "jeep," but with the tongue placed higher and further forward. |
| One way to practice is to intentionally spread your lips when pronouncing [dʒ], as in "jeep." This will help you get pretty close to j [tɕ]. |
| j |
| [3 sec pause] |
| j (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| j |
| j |
| [3 sec pause] |
| j (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| j |
| Q [tɕʰ] is an aspirated alveolo-palatal affricate. |
| It's similar to ch in "cheese" but with the tongue placed higher and further forward. |
| Try to intentionally spread your lips when pronouncing [tʃ] as in "cheese," and you can get pretty close to q [tɕʰ]. |
| q |
| [3 sec pause] |
| q (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| q |
| q |
| [3 sec pause] |
| q (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| q |
| The difference between j and q is in the aspiration: the j sound has little to no burst of air, while the q sound has a strong puff of air when pronounced. |
| X [ɕ] is a voiceless alveolo-palatal fricative. |
| This sound is similar to sh in "she," but it is pronounced with the tongue closer to the roof of the mouth. |
| Start by saying [ʃ] in "she" first, holding the tongue position while intentionally spreading your lips. |
| x |
| [3 sec pause] |
| x (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| x |
| x |
| [3 sec pause] |
| x (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| x |
| Listen and repeat or speak along with me. |
| Ready? |
| jī/qī |
| (space for repetition) |
| jī/qī |
| qiē/xiē |
| (space for repetition) |
| qiē/xiē |
| jué/xué |
| (space for repetition) |
| jué/xué |
| jiàn/qiàn |
| (space for repetition) |
| jiàn/qiàn |
| Let's review. Respond to the prompts by speaking aloud. Then, repeat after me, focusing on pronunciation. |
| Do you remember the affricate that has little or no burst of air? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| j |
| (1) |
| j |
| Do you remember the affricate with a strong puff of air when pronounced? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| q |
| (1) |
| q |
| Do you remember the fricative that is similar to [ʃ ] in "she?" |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| x |
| (1) |
| x |
| Let's practice. |
| Compare the sounds in these two words. Which word has the j sound, and which has the q sound? |
| 鸡/七 |
| ("chicken"/"seven") |
| (1) |
| 鸡/七 |
| ("chicken"/"seven") |
| (1) |
| 鸡 jī has the j sound, and 七 qī has the q sound. |
| Let's try another. Which word has the q sound, and which has the x sound? |
| (3 sec pause) |
| 西/七 |
| ("west"/"seven") |
| (1) |
| 西/七 |
| ("west"/"seven") |
| (1) |
| 七 qī has the q sound, and 西 xī has the x sound. |
| Which word has the j sound, and which has the x sound? |
| (3 sec pause) |
| 街/歇 |
| ("street"/"to rest") |
| (1) |
| 街/歇 |
| ("street"/"to rest") |
| (1) |
| 街 jiē has the j sound, and 歇 xiē has the x sound. |
| Now listen to the following sentences. |
| Choose the words that fit in the blanks. |
| (1 sec pause) |
| 他在_苹果。Tā zài _ píng guǒ. |
| A 切 qiē |
| B 接 jiē |
| (3 sec pause) |
| The answer is: A 切 qiē |
| (3 sec pause) |
| 他在切苹果。 Tā zài qiē píng guǒ. |
| "He is cutting apples." |
| (3 sec pause) |
| 我早上_点起床。 Wǒ zǎo shang _ diǎn qǐ chuáng. |
| A 西 xī |
| B 七 qī |
| (3 sec pause) |
| The answer is: B 七 qī |
| (3 sec pause) |
| 我早上七点起床。 Wǒ zǎo shang qī diǎn qǐ chuáng. |
| "I get up at seven o'clock in the morning." |
| (3 sec pause) |
| 我爱_习。Wǒ ài _ xí. |
| A 学 xué |
| B 决 jué |
| (3 sec pause) |
| The answer is: A 学 xué |
| (3 sec pause) |
| 我爱学习。Wǒ ài xué xí. |
| "I love studying." |
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