Pinyin initial: "mi"

Mouth Mechanics (step-by-step)

1. Close your lips gently (upper and lower lips touch fully, but don’t press hard).
2. Let your voice turn on immediately (feel a soft buzz in your throat and a gentle vibration around your lips/nose).
3. Keep the tongue relaxed and low behind the teeth; it does not “do” the consonant—your lips do.
4. Release the lips smoothly into the following vowel (for mi-, open into an ee-like sound; for miao- / mian- / mie- / miu-, glide quickly into the next vowel).
5. Keep airflow steady—this sound is made with voicing and gentle nasal resonance, not forceful breath.

Key feeling: a quiet, steady “mmm…” hum, then a clean transition into the vowel.

English Approximation (what to copy)

The consonant m- is essentially the same as English m.

• “me” — use the m at the start (m-e).
• “mama” — use the m in the middle or start (ma-).
• “sum” — use the m at the end (su-m), but in Mandarin it will be at the beginning, then immediately followed by a vowel.

How to match Mandarin more closely: - In English, some speakers make m a little “heavy” (pressed lips, strong nasal hum). In Mandarin, keep it light and quick, then move on.

Common Mistakes (English-speaker traps)

• Over-pressing the lips: Don’t clamp the lips shut too tightly; it should be gentle.
• Adding an extra vowel before the syllable: Don’t say “uh-mi” or “em-mi.” Start directly with m.
• Turning it into “mee-y…” before i (like adding a “y” sound too early). The m should be clear first, then the vowel/glide comes after.
• Nasal overkill: You should feel some nasal resonance (it’s m), but it shouldn’t sound “stuffed-up” or exaggerated.

Practice Pairs (visual sound anchors)

These English words are pronunciation anchors, not perfect matches. The goal is to lock in the m cleanly and then transition smoothly into the Mandarin final.

Comparisons & Caveats (similar Pinyin and what to watch)

• mi- vs. bi-/pi- (don’t confuse the lip action):
  • m- is nasal + voiced (you can hum it: “mmm”).
  • b- / p- are stops (a clean lip “pop” release). p- also has noticeable aspiration (a stronger burst of air), while m- does not.
• mi- vs. ni- (lips vs. tongue):
  • m-: made with lips closed.
  • n-: made with the tongue touching the gum ridge behind the upper front teeth.
• -n vs. -ng endings after m-:
  • min ends with -n: tongue tip closes at the front (behind upper teeth).
  • ming ends with -ng: back of the tongue lifts; the tongue tip stays relatively free. Mixing these up is very common.
• mi vs. miao/mian/mie/miu (the “y-glide” feeling):
  In syllables like mie, miao, mian, miu, the sound after m includes a quick front glide (a “y”-like movement). Keep it fast and smooth—don’t turn it into two syllables (not “mi-ao,” not “mi-an”).
• Tone is separate from the initial:
  The m- stays the same in mi1 / mi2 / mi3 / mi4 / mi5 and in mian2 / mian3 / mian4, ming2 / ming3 / ming4, etc. Only the pitch contour changes; the lip-made consonant does not.