<p>Yes, h = [x] (also ㄏ in bopomofo).</p>

<hr>

<p>Wikipedia has an entire chart entitled <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/Mandarin" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Help:IPA/Mandarin</a> that lists consonants:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/IWQvs.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/IWQvs.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>
</blockquote>

<p>and vowels </p>

<blockquote>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/LqMf9.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/LqMf9.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>
</blockquote>

<hr>

<p>Many old dictionaries, especially topolectical dictionaries, used IPA or a simplified version of IPA.</p>

<p>Consider <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_Rong_(linguist)" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Li Rong</a>'s (李荣) edited <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Dictionary_of_Modern_Chinese_Dialects" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Great Dictionary of Modern Chinese Dialects</a> (现代汉语方言大词典). Here's an example from《哈尔滨方言词典》:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/eV4TT.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/eV4TT.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>
</blockquote>

<p>Here you can clearly see 火 is:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>xuo</p>
</blockquote>

<p>You can also see that the other terms are also written using IPA, albeit slightly simplified.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-23T17:48:30.320Z
Thanks for the answer and I saw the exact Wikipedia page. But I wonder if the chart is what is only generally applicable and has some exceptions, or can be applied to ALL words.
Blaszard
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-24T07:02:12.690Z
@Blaszard Yes they all generally stay the same. Otherwise you would see fluctuation in bopomofo and in pinyin. The only exceptions, would be exactly that: exceptions. For instance we get questions like: https://chinese.stackexchange.com/q/26801/4136 where the pronunciations of characters like 儿 and 二 are slightly different.
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-23T05:01:59.263Z
2019-04-23T05:01:59.263Z
Mou某
<p>Standard pronunciation is indeed [x], but it can vary regionally [h ~ x].</p>
<p>Note, Standard Chinese <em>does</em> contain [h] in some monosyllabic filler words:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>SC has three syllabic nasals, [m], [n], and [ŋ], which mostly occur in interjections, such as [hm] (showing contempt), [hŋ] (showing contempt), [m] (‘yes’),
[n] (‘yes’), and [ŋ] (‘yes’). Although such words have a somewhat marginal
status, they have been included in some dictionaries, such as Xiandai Hanyu
Cidian (Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Institute of Linguistics 1978).</p>
</blockquote>
<ul>
<li><em>Phonology of Standard Chinese,</em> 2.9 Syllabic Consonants</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-13T15:03:52.173Z
Has a character ever been assigned to [hm]? I have seen appropriate glyphs for the others but [hm] seems a little harder. Edit: found it - 噷.
Mou某
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-13T15:06:40.920Z
@Mou某 [噷](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%99%B7#Chinese)
大胳膊雅各布
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-04-13T13:27:44.967Z
2021-04-13T13:27:44.967Z
大胳膊雅各布
<p>Chinese (Mandarin) use [x] to pronounce <em>h</em> sound. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/Mandarin" rel="nofollow noreferrer">It does not have any sounds such as [h] and [ɸ]</a>.</p>

<p>However, I'm not sure if it is fine to assume that all the <em>h</em> in pinyin are pronounced as [x]. According to <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/8436/pinyin-h-sound-pronounciation">this question</a> and the answer, [x] is the standard sound, but is there any case to use a different sound on the <em>h</em> in pinyin? If so, how can I know if it is pronounced as such, given that <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/17813/are-there-any-online-dictionaries-that-supply-ipa-transcriptions-for-mandarin">it is generally impossible to know which IPA sound is used in Chinese words</a>?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-23T09:27:21.370Z
Being pedantic, but I assume you are excluding sh-, ch-, zh- from your considerations, aren't you?
Michaelyus
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-04-24T09:11:07.360Z
@Michaelyus Ah, I got what you are meaning. Yes, I excluded them.
Blaszard
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-20T01:17:45.183Z
Possible duplicate of [Pinyin "h" sound, pronounciation](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/8436/pinyin-h-sound-pronounciation)
mic
<mandarin><pronunciation><spoken><ipa>
Are the "h" in pinyin always pronounced as "[x]" in IPA?
# Are the "h" in pinyin always pronounced as "[x]" in IPA?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-04-22)

Chinese (Mandarin) use [x] to pronounce *h* sound. [It does not have any sounds such as [h] and [ɸ]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/Mandarin).

However, I'm not sure if it is fine to assume that all the *h* in pinyin are pronounced as [x]. According to [this question](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/8436/pinyin-h-sound-pronounciation) and the answer, [x] is the standard sound, but is there any case to use a different sound on the *h* in pinyin? If so, how can I know if it is pronounced as such, given that [it is generally impossible to know which IPA sound is used in Chinese words](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/17813/are-there-any-online-dictionaries-that-supply-ipa-transcriptions-for-mandarin)?

**Tags:** mandarin, pronunciation, spoken, ipa
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Being pedantic, but I assume you are excluding sh-, ch-, zh- from your considerations, aren't you?  
> **username_0**: @Michaelyus Ah, I got what you are meaning. Yes, I excluded them.  
> **username_2**: Possible duplicate of [Pinyin "h" sound, pronounciation](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/8436/pinyin-h-sound-pronounciation)  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2019-04-23. Score: 1

Yes, h = [x] (also ㄏ in bopomofo).

---

Wikipedia has an entire chart entitled [Help:IPA/Mandarin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/Mandarin) that lists consonants:

> [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/IWQvs.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/IWQvs.png)

and vowels

> [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/LqMf9.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/LqMf9.png)

---

Many old dictionaries, especially topolectical dictionaries, used IPA or a simplified version of IPA.

Consider [Li Rong](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_Rong_(linguist))'s (李荣) edited [Great Dictionary of Modern Chinese Dialects](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Dictionary_of_Modern_Chinese_Dialects) (现代汉语方言大词典). Here's an example from《哈尔滨方言词典》:

> [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/eV4TT.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/eV4TT.png)

Here you can clearly see 火 is:

> xuo

You can also see that the other terms are also written using IPA, albeit slightly simplified.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks for the answer and I saw the exact Wikipedia page. But I wonder if the chart is what is only generally applicable and has some exceptions, or can be applied to ALL words.  
> **username_3**: @Blaszard Yes they all generally stay the same. Otherwise you would see fluctuation in bopomofo and in pinyin. The only exceptions, would be exactly that: exceptions. For instance we get questions like: https://chinese.stackexchange.com/q/26801/4136 where the pronunciations of characters like 儿 and 二 are slightly different.  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2021-04-13. Score: 0

Standard pronunciation is indeed [x], but it can vary regionally [h ~ x].

Note, Standard Chinese *does* contain [h] in some monosyllabic filler words:

> SC has three syllabic nasals, [m], [n], and [ŋ], which mostly occur in interjections, such as [hm] (showing contempt), [hŋ] (showing contempt), [m] (‘yes’),
> [n] (‘yes’), and [ŋ] (‘yes’). Although such words have a somewhat marginal
> status, they have been included in some dictionaries, such as Xiandai Hanyu
> Cidian (Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Institute of Linguistics 1978).

* *Phonology of Standard Chinese,* 2.9 Syllabic Consonants

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Has a character ever been assigned to [hm]? I have seen appropriate glyphs for the others but [hm] seems a little harder. Edit: found it - 噷.  
> **username_4**: @Mou某 [噷](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E5%99%B7#Chinese)  

---

