Pinyin final: "ei4"

Mouth Mechanics (step-by-step)

1. Start position (the “e” part):
   • Relax your jaw (slightly open, not clenched).
   • Keep your lips neutral (not rounded like “oh,” not spread into a smile).
   • Put the middle of your tongue comfortably high and forward—similar to where it is for the vowel in “bed,” but a bit tenser and higher.
2. Glide (the “i” off-glide):
   • Without changing your jaw much, slide the tongue slightly higher and a little forward, toward the position for the vowel in “see.”
   • The lips may tighten slightly, but they do not round.
3. Timing (very important):
   • The movement from “e” to the little “i” should be smooth and short.
   • The final does not end in a strong “ee”—it’s more like a quick “hint” of “i.”
4. Add the 4th tone (ei4):
   • Start high and firm, then drop quickly and strongly—like giving a decisive “No.”
   • Keep the vowel quality stable while the pitch drops; don’t let the sound turn breathy or fade out.

English Approximation (and what part matches)

Use these as anchors, then adjust:

• “say” — the vowel in say is close to ei, especially if you say it quickly and cleanly.
  Adjustment: Don’t let it turn into a long, drawly English “ay.”

• “day” — the vowel in day is also similar.
  Adjustment: Avoid adding an extra “y” feeling at the end; Chinese ei finishes sooner.

• “eight” — the vowel in eight is close, but English speakers often make it too long.
  Adjustment: Shorten it, keep it neat, and (for ei4) add a strong fall.

If your English “ay” automatically turns into two parts (eh + ee) very strongly, reduce the second part: aim for mostly “eh,” with only a light glide.

Common Mistakes (English speakers)

• Making it too long: English “ay” can be stretched. Chinese ei is usually more compact.
• Ending with a strong “ee”: Don’t finish with a clear “ee” sound. The “i” part is only a brief glide.
• Changing the lips too much: Don’t round the lips; keep them neutral.
• Weak 4th tone: For ei4, don’t “trail off.” The tone should drop decisively (high → low), not fade.

Practice Pairs (visualizing the sound)

These English words are approximations to help you “hear” the target quickly.

Comparisons & Caveats (similar sounds to watch out for)

A) ei vs. English “ay”

Chinese ei is similar to English “ay,” but typically:

• Shorter and cleaner
• Less “ee” at the end
• With tones, the pitch movement is part of the syllable, not “emotion added afterward.”

B) ei vs. ai

• ei starts closer to the vowel in “bed”/“say” (but cleaner) and glides lightly upward.
• ai starts more open (more like the “a” in “father” moving toward “i”).

If you open your mouth wide at the start, you’re drifting toward ai, not ei.

C) ei vs. e (single vowel)

• ei has a noticeable glide toward “i.”
• e (when taught as a standalone final) is steadier, with much less of that “i” movement.

If you keep the tongue totally still, you may be pronouncing something closer to e, not ei.

D) Why -ui syllables (dui4, tui4, gui4, hui4, zhui4, chui4, shui4, rui4, zui4, cui4, sui4, kui4) matter here

In many common syllables spelled -ui in Pinyin (like dui4, tui4, gui4, shui4, zui4), the main vowel you hear is essentially the same “ei”-type glide, usually written as wei in careful phonetic descriptions. What changes is the initial (d-, t-, g-, sh-, z-, etc.), not the core “ei” glide. So when practicing, notice that wei4 and the “-ui” syllables share a similar vowel target: a compact “e → i” glide, plus the 4th-tone fall.

E) Tone 4 reminder (for ei4 and related syllables)

Tone 4 is not “angry,” but it is firm: - Start high - Drop fast - End low, without breathiness or extra vowel at the end