Pinyin final: "ou2"

/ou̯˧˥/

The Pinyin final "ou2" is used in the second half of Pinyin syllables. In MandarinBanana's mnemonic system, the second half of a Pinyin syllable is always represented by a location. You can visit the Pinyin index to see all Pinyin syllables from this mnemonic group, or to see all Pinyin syllables "ou2" can appear in.

Pronunciation Tips

The “Cheat Code”

Think of the vowel in American “go” said smoothly, then let it glide into a quick “oo” (as in “food”)—all in one syllable, with Tone 2 rising.

Mouth Mechanics (step-by-step)

Start position (the “oh” part):
- Jaw: slightly open, relaxed.
- Lips: rounded, but not tightly puckered.
- Tongue: relaxed in the middle of the mouth (not pulled back hard).
Make the core vowel (“oh”):
- Say a clean “oh” like in many American pronunciations of go (not a wide “aw”).
- Keep the sound forward and smooth, not “heavy” or swallowed.
Add the glide to “oo”:
- Without breaking the sound, round the lips a bit more and narrow the opening.
- The tongue rises slightly toward the back as you move toward an “oo” quality.
- This glide should be quick and light—the main sound is still the first part.
Keep it one syllable:
- Do not insert a tiny “w” syllable or pause. It’s one continuous vowel-glide.
Tone 2 (rising):
- Start mid, then rise (like asking a surprised “Really?”), but keep the vowel quality steady while the pitch rises.

English Approximation (2–3 words + what matches)

Because English accents vary, treat these as guides and adjust:

“go” (American English) — the main “oh” part is close to the start of ou.
- Match: the vowel you hear in “go” at the beginning of the Chinese ou.
“dough” — similar to “go,” often a good smooth “oh → (slight) oo” feel.
- Match: the single, rounded vowel quality.
How to modify English to get closer:
Many English speakers end “go/dough” with a noticeable off-glide that can sound like “ohw”. For Mandarin ou, keep the glide shorter, cleaner, and more “oo”-like rather than “w-like.”

Common Mistakes (English-speaker traps)

Making it two syllables: saying something like “oh-oo” with a break. It must be one smooth glide.
Adding an extra “w” sound: producing “ow” (as in English “cow”) or “ohw.” Mandarin ou is not the “ow” of cow.
Over-puckering: squeezing the lips too tightly can make the sound too “oo” too early; keep the first part clearly “oh.”
Forgetting Tone 2: learners often say it flat or falling. ou2 rises.

Practice Pairs (visualizing the target)

Pinyin (Tone 2)	Closest English “anchor”	What to copy	What to avoid
pou2	“poe” (as in “Poe”)	smooth “oh” start + quick rounding toward “oo”	turning it into “pow” (cow-vowel)
fou2	“foe”	rounded “oh,” then brief glide	adding a strong “w”
tou2	“toe”	clean single syllable, quick glide	splitting into “toh-oo”
lou2	“low” (American “loh”)	steady “oh,” light finish	making the finish too long “loo”
hou2	“hoe”	same vowel shape regardless of initial	using “how” vowel (cow-vowel)
zhou2	“Joe”	keep vowel identical; only the start consonant changes	letting the “zh” pull the vowel into “aw”
rou2	“row” (boat “roh”)	rounded “oh,” quick glide	English “r” coloring the vowel too much
mou2	“mow” (often “moh”)	aim for “moh” + brief glide	“mow” with cow-vowel
chou2	“cho” (as in “chow” but use “cho” vowel)	copy “cho” (as in “chose” beginning), not “chow”	“chow” vowel (cow-vowel)
you2	“yo”	clear “oh” + short glide	making it “yoo” (too much “oo”)
niu2	“knew” (for the niu feeling)	start with “ny-” + ou glide	turning iu/ou into pure “oo”
liu2	“Leo” (approx.)	“ly-” + ou glide	making it “lee-oo” (two syllables)
qiu2	“chew” (approx.)	fronted start (qi-) then ou glide	using English “ch” and losing the Mandarin qi- quality

Note: The English words are anchors; the goal is the Mandarin ou vowel-glide, not a perfect English match.

Comparisons & Caveats (similar pinyin and what to watch)

ou vs ao
- ou starts with a rounded “oh” and glides toward “oo.”
- ao starts more open (closer to “ah”) and glides toward “oo.”
- Quick check: ou feels more rounded from the start than ao.
ou vs English “ow” (as in cow)
- Mandarin ou is not the “cow” vowel.
- English cow starts with a more open, fronted vowel; Mandarin ou starts rounded “oh.”
ou as a full final vs -iu (as in niu2, liu2, qiu2)
- In syllables like niu2 / liu2 / qiu2, the written iu is pronounced like a “y + ou” glide: you move quickly from a “y” (tongue high/front) into ou.
- Don’t collapse iu into a simple “oo.” Keep the glide into ou audible.
Keep the vowel stable across initials
- In pou2, tou2, zhou2, chou2, hou2, the consonant changes, but the final ou2 should sound consistent: rounded “oh” → quick “oo,” with a rising tone.
Tone interacts with clarity
- When the pitch rises (Tone 2), English speakers often tense the mouth and distort the vowel. Keep lips and jaw relaxed so the vowel quality stays the same while only the pitch rises.