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Pronunciation guide of 3 Initials in Pinyin: g,k,h

Note: Here are the finals which can be combined with g, k and h.
1) Simple final: a,e,u;
2) Compound finals which start with a, e or u.

g is an unaspirated consonant and g is not voiced. When pronouncing g, retreat your tongue . g is similiar to its English counterpart.
k is aspirated and also not voiced. When pronouncing k, the back of your tongue is lifted against the soft palate and you can feel the air coming out of your mouth.
When pronouncing h , you can feel that there is a puff of air coming through your mouth and there is a friction.

Examples of Chinese Characters Using g k h

In this part, we will learn some Pinyin that use these four initials with their Chinese characters. Please listen to the audio to differentiate these sounds, and then repeat with the audio.
InitialsUsed in PinyinCharactersMeaningsAs in English Words
g
gē ge
哥哥n. elder brotherlike /g/ in English word "girl"
k
kāi xīn
开心adj. happylike /k/ in English word “kate"
h
v. to drinklike /h/ in English word "her"

Pronunciation Drills of Initials: g, k, h

Listen to the audio first, and then practice the following Pinyin with the initials: g,k,h.
Pinyin drills
gāo
kǎo
hǎo
gěi
hēi
guò
kuò
huò

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