Cantonese Cantonese| IPA symbol | SAMPA symbol | Keyword in SAMPA | Romanizations | Orthography | English gloss | |
| Yale | Jyutping | |||||
| Consonants | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plosives | ||||||
| p | p | pa:_3 | pa | paa3 | 怕 | fear |
| b | b | ba:_0 | bà | baa1 | 爸 | father |
| t | t | tO:N_4 | tòhng | tong4 | 糖 | sugar |
| d | d | da:_2 | dá | daa2 | 打 | hit |
| k | k | k6p_1 | kāp | kap1 | 給 | give |
| g | g | g6m_0 | gàm | gam1 | 金 | gold |
| kw | kw | kwa:_0 | kwà | kwaa1 | 誇 | boast |
| gw | gw | gwa:_0 | gwà | gwaa1 | 瓜 | melon |
| Nasals | ||||||
| m | m | ma:_0 | mà | maa1 | 媽 | mother |
| n | n | nej_5 | néih | nei5 | 你 | you |
| ŋ | N | Na:_4 | ngàh | ngaa4 | 牙 | tooth |
| Fricatives | ||||||
| f | f | fa:_0 | fà | faa1 | 花 | flower |
| s | s | sa:_0 | sà | saa1 | 沙 | sand |
| (ɕ) | sy:_0 | syù | syu1 | 書 | book | |
| h | h | ha:_0 | hà | haa1 | 蝦 | shrimp |
| Affricates | ||||||
| ts | ts | tsa:N_2 | cháang | caang2 | 橙 | orange |
| (tʃ) | ts9N_4 | chèuhng | coeng4 | 長 | long | |
| dz | dz | dza:k_3 | jaak | zaak3 | 窄 | narrow |
| (dʒ) | dzy:_0 | jyù | zyu1 | 豬 | pig | |
| Approximants | ||||||
| j | j | ju:t_6 | yuht | jyut6 | 月 | month |
| w | w | wa:k_6 | waahk | waak6 | 画 | draw |
| l | l | la:N_5 | láahng | laang5 | 冷 | cold |
| Vowels | ||||||
| Monophthongs | ||||||
| iː | i: | di:p_6 | dihp | dip6 | 碟 | plate |
| ɛː | E: | sE:_2 | sé | se2 | 写 | write |
| aː | a: | ba:t_3 | baat | baat3 | 八 | eight |
| ɐ | 6 | j6p_6 | yahp | jap6 | 入 | enter |
| uː | u: | gu:_0 | gùh | gu0 | 姑 | aunt |
| yː | y: | hy:t_3 | hyut | hyut3 | 血 | blood |
| ɔː | O: | gO:n_0 | gòn | gon1 | 干 | dry |
| œː | 9: | g9:k_3 | geuk | goek3 | 脚 | foot |
| Diphthongs | ||||||
| iw | iw | tiw_3 | tiu | tiu3 | 跳 | jump |
| ej | ej | nej_5 | néih | nei5 | 你 | you |
| ɛw | Ew | tEw_6 | - | teu6 | (This colloquial word has no written form) | throw away |
| ɐw | 6w | s6w_2 | sáu | sau2 | 手 | hand |
| ɐj | 6j | s6j_0 | sài | sai1 | 西 | west |
| aːj | a:j | da:j_6 | daaih | daai6 | 大 | big |
| aːw | a:w | ma:w_1 | māau | maau1 | 猫 | cat |
| ɔːj | O:j | tsO:j_3 | choi | coi3 | 菜 | vegetable |
| ow | ow | dow_1 | dōu | dou1 | 刀 | knife |
| uːj | u:j | bu:j_1 | būi | bui1 | 杯 | cup |
| œy | 9y | s9y_2 | séui | seoi2 | 水 | water |
| Tones | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| pitch | SAMPA | keyword | Yale | Jyutping | orthog. | gloss |
| high to mid | _0 | si_0 | sì | si1 | 師 | teacher |
| high level | _1 | si_1 | sī | si1 | 詩 | poem |
| mid to high | _2 | si_2 | sí | si2 | 史 | history |
| mid level | _3 | si_3 | si | si3 | 試 | to try |
| low to lowest | _4 | si_4 | sìh | si4 | 匙 | a key |
| low to mid | _5 | si_5 | síh | si5 | 市 | a city |
| low level | _6 | si_6 | sih | si6 | 是 | to be |
/p t k ts/ are aspirated; /b d g dz/ are voiceless and unaspirated.
/s ts dz/ have palatoalveolar allophones before /i: y: 9:/. /s/ has an alveolopalatal allophone before /y:/.
In Hong Kong, tones _0 and _1 are not usually distinguished. In Singapore, tones _2 and _5 may not be distinguished.
The adaptation of SAMPA to Cantonese was done by Dr Juliet Mar.
Maintained by J.C. Wells. Created 2002 08 09