INITIALS
Chinese sounds are divided into upper and lower series. The initials to represent the Upper Series are—p, ’m, ’v, t, ts, s, ’l, ’n, ’ny, ’ng, k, ky, kw, i and ’w. These initials are pronounced in most cases much the same as in English, but without aspiration, higher in pitch and with very little vibration of the larynx. The apostrophe before a letter indicates that the letter belongs to the “higher series.” Pure vowel initials also belong to this series.
ny has a sound similar to that of ni in spaniel
ky ＝ ch in chuk with all aspiration eliminated.
i as an initial has the sounds of i in dahlia.
The Aspirates are—ph, f, th, tsh, ky, ch, khw, h, hy, and hw (th as in Thomson—not as in thing).
ch ＝ ch in church.
hy is nearly like ti in Portia.
The other aspirates are like the corresponding initials of the higher series with the addition of a strong aspiration (indicated by h).
The initials to represent the Lower Series are—b, m, v, d, dz, z, l, n, ny, ng, g, j, gw, y, and w. Their pronunciation is much the same as in English. They are lower in pitch than corresponding initials of the “higher series,” and have more “voice,” being pronounced with more decided vibration of the larynx. The lower vowel initials, indicated by an inverted comma (‘) and attended with a slight aspiration, belong to this series. It will be noted that this sign differs from that employed to indicate that a consonant initial belongs to the upper series, an apostrophe being used to denote the “upper initial.” This inverted comma is used only before vowels, and if, by mistake, this sign is used before a consonant instead of the apostrophe, this need not confuse the reader, for the sign of the upper series is properly used only before the initial consonants m, v, l, n, ny, ng, w, and r.
It should be noted well that the difference between the corresponding initials of the upper and lower series is not so much a difference in consonantal quality as a difference in pitch, but there is a real consonantal difference. The higher series may be classified as surd and the lower as sonant.