<p>There is no contradiction; both of the statements are saying the same thing.</p>

<ul>
<li>There is a final in Chinese that is pronounced [wɔ].</li>
<li>This is the final in syllables "luo", "ruo", "wo", "bo", etc.</li>
<li>It is sometimes spelled "uo" (as in "luo") and sometimes spelled "o" (as in "bo").</li>
<li>Specifically, it is always and only spelled as "o" following  b-, p-, m-, and f-.</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-10-02T21:30:54.053Z
_This vowel, **[ɔ]**, matches the vowel part of the final -uo [wɔ]_
GJC
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-10-02T23:01:23.280Z
@GJC Your actual question doesn't have the text in your comment. In any event, let me state that "po" and "luo" are pronounced identically except the initial. If you're transcribing "luo" as [lwɔ], then "po" should be [pʰwɔ]. (FWIW, I've also seen that final transcribed as [wo], but it's still the case that those syllables only differ in the initial consonant.)
Stumpy Joe Pete
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-10-03T07:48:52.667Z
_*[o]*: ''wo/-uo''_ according to wiki/Help:IPA/Mandarin. Do they mean  */o/*?
GJC
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-10-03T19:02:36.080Z
@GJC They mean [wo], as you can see [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_Chinese_phonology#Allophones)
Stumpy Joe Pete
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-10-02T21:14:01.140Z
2019-10-02T21:14:01.140Z
Stumpy Joe Pete
<p>According to Wiedenhof's <em>A Grammar of Mandarin</em>, page 43,</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>The final spelled as -<em>o</em> is only combined with the initials b-, p-,
  m-, f-. This vowel matches the vowel part of the final -<em>uo</em> [wɔ]. </p>
</blockquote>

<p>However in page 45, the author states</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>The fnal -<em>uo</em> [wɔ] is spelled as -<em>o</em> before the labial initials, b-,
  p-, m-, f-.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Can somebody clarify the apparent contradiction?</p>

<pronunciation><pinyin>
Pronunciation of final -o
# Pronunciation of final -o

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-10-02)

According to Wiedenhof's *A Grammar of Mandarin*, page 43,

> The final spelled as -*o* is only combined with the initials b-, p-,
> m-, f-. This vowel matches the vowel part of the final -*uo* [wɔ].

However in page 45, the author states

> The fnal -*uo* [wɔ] is spelled as -*o* before the labial initials, b-,
> p-, m-, f-.

Can somebody clarify the apparent contradiction?

**Tags:** pronunciation, pinyin

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-10-02. Score: 2

There is no contradiction; both of the statements are saying the same thing.

* There is a final in Chinese that is pronounced [wɔ].
* This is the final in syllables "luo", "ruo", "wo", "bo", etc.
* It is sometimes spelled "uo" (as in "luo") and sometimes spelled "o" (as in "bo").
* Specifically, it is always and only spelled as "o" following b-, p-, m-, and f-.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: _This vowel, **[ɔ]**, matches the vowel part of the final -uo [wɔ]_  
> **username_1**: @GJC Your actual question doesn't have the text in your comment. In any event, let me state that "po" and "luo" are pronounced identically except the initial. If you're transcribing "luo" as [lwɔ], then "po" should be [pʰwɔ]. (FWIW, I've also seen that final transcribed as [wo], but it's still the case that those syllables only differ in the initial consonant.)  
> **username_0**: _*[o]*: ''wo/-uo''_ according to wiki/Help:IPA/Mandarin. Do they mean  */o/*?  
> **username_1**: @GJC They mean [wo], as you can see [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_Chinese_phonology#Allophones)  

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