Views on initials and finals of Mandarin in Pinyin

As there are different tables floating around, I wanted to compare them and explore the different view on the syllables' initials and finals. There is not only a difference in the order of the parts, but also in how the syllables are placed under which initial and which final. E.g. the final of yu is pronounced like , though the "dots" (diaresis) are missing, so this syllable is placed under final ü in some tables.

Started as Pinyin syllable sets compared the interest in differnt visualisations grew, so here you can find a bigger collection of tables, each with special characteristics.

Without wanting to say too much - here is a list of different views on the syllables of Mandarin Chinese:

Simple grouping according to written form of Pinyin

aaoaianangoouonguüuauaiuanuangueüeunuouieereienengiiaiaoiuieianiniangingiong
bbabaobaibanbangbobubeibenbengbibiaobiebianbinbing
ppapaopaipanpangpopoupupeipenpengpipiaopiepianpinping
mmamaomaimanmangmomoumumemeimenmengmimiaomiumiemianminming
ffafanfangfofoufufefeifenfeng
ddadaodaidandangdoudongduduandunduoduidedeidendengdidiadiaodiudiedianding
ttataotaitantangtoutongtutuantuntuotuitetengtitiaotietianting
nnanaonainannangnounongnunuannüenunnuoneneinennengniniaoniunienianninniangning
llalaolailanlangloloulongluluanlüelunluoleleilenglilialiaoliulielianlinliangling
zzazaozaizanzangzouzongzuzuanzunzuozuizezeizenzengzi
ccacaocaicancangcoucongcucuancuncuocuiceceicencengci
ssasaosaisansangsousongsusuansunsuosuisesensengsi
zhzhazhaozhaizhanzhangzhouzhongzhuzhuazhuaizhuanzhuangzhunzhuozhuizhezheizhenzhengzhi
chchachaochaichanchangchouchongchuchuachuaichuanchuangchunchuochuichechenchengchi
shshashaoshaishanshangshoushushuashuaishuanshuangshunshuoshuishesheishenshengshi
rraoranrangrourongruruaruanrunruoruirerenrengri
jjujuanjuejunjijiajiaojiujiejianjinjiangjingjiong
qququanquequnqiqiaqiaoqiuqieqianqinqiangqingqiong
xxuxuanxuexunxixiaxiaoxiuxiexianxinxiangxingxiong
ggagaogaiganganggougongguguaguaiguanguanggunguoguigegeigengeng
kkakaokaikankangkoukongkukuakuaikuankuangkunkuokuikekeikenkeng
hhahaohaihanhanghouhonghuhuahuaihuanhuanghunhuohuiheheihenheng
wwawaiwanwangwowuweiwenweng
yyayaoyaiyanyangyoyouyongyuyuanyueyunyeyiyinying
aaoaianangooueereieneng

Compare the Article Pinyin on Wikipedia (de).

Missing syllables: hng, hm, n, ng, m, ê

Discrimination of some parts pronounced differently, following ISO 7098

aoeê-ieraieiaoouanenangengongiiaiaoieiuianiniangingionguuauouaiuiuanunuangüüeüanün
aoeeeraieiaoouanenangeng
yyayoyeyaiyaoyouyanyangyongyiyinyingyuyueyuanyun
wwawowaiweiwanwenwangwengwu
bbabobaibeibaobanbenbangbengbibiaobiebianbinbingbu
ppapopaipeipaopoupanpenpangpengpipiaopiepianpinpingpu
mmamomemaimeimaomoumanmenmangmengmimiaomiemiumianminmingmu
ffafofefeifoufanfenfangfengfu
ddadedaideidaodoudandendangdengdongdidiadiaodiediudiandingduduoduiduandun
ttatetaitaotoutantangtengtongtitiaotietiantingtutuotuituantun
nnanenaineinaonounannennangnengnongniniaonieniunianninniangningnunuonuannunnüe
llalolelaileilaoloulanlanglenglonglilialiaolieliulianlinlianglingluluoluanlunlüe
zzazezizaizeizaozouzanzenzangzengzongzuzuozuizuanzun
ccacecicaiceicaocoucancencangcengcongcucuocuicuancun
ssasesisaisaosousansensangsengsongsusuosuisuansun
zhzhazhezhizhaizheizhaozhouzhanzhenzhangzhengzhongzhuzhuazhuozhuaizhuizhuanzhunzhuang
chchachechichaichaochouchanchenchangchengchongchuchuachuochuaichuichuanchunchuang
shshasheshishaisheishaoshoushanshenshangshengshushuashuoshuaishuishuanshunshuang
rreriraorouranrenrangrengrongruruaruoruiruanrun
jjijiajiaojiejiujianjinjiangjingjiongjujuejuanjun
qqiqiaqiaoqieqiuqianqinqiangqingqiongququequanqun
xxixiaxiaoxiexiuxianxinxiangxingxiongxuxuexuanxun
ggagegaigeigaogougangenganggenggongguguaguoguaiguiguangunguang
kkakekaikeikaokoukankenkangkengkongkukuakuokuaikuikuankunkuang
hhahehaiheihaohouhanhenhanghenghonghuhuahuohuaihuihuanhunhuang

Missing syllables: hng, hm, n, ng, m, ê

See below for ê.

More consequent view, initials y, w grouped under diphthongs and triphthong without initial character

As found in Praktisches Chinesisch, Band I, Kommerzieller Verlag, Beijing 2001, ISBN 7-100-01675-4.

aoeê-ieraieiaoouanenangengongiiaiaoieiuianiniangingionguuauouaiuiuanunuanguengüüeüanün
aoeeeraieiaoouanenangengyiyayaoyeyouyanyinyangyingyongwuwawowaiweiwanwenwangwengyuyueyuanyun
bbabobaibeibaobanbenbangbengbibiaobiebianbinbingbu
ppapopaipeipaopoupanpenpangpengpipiaopiepianpinpingpu
mmamomemaimeimaomoumanmenmangmengmimiaomiemiumianminmingmu
ffafofefeifoufanfenfangfengfu
ddadedaideidaodoudandendangdengdongdidiadiaodiediudiandingduduoduiduandun
ttatetaitaotoutantangtengtongtitiaotietiantingtutuotuituantun
nnanenaineinaonounannennangnengnongniniaonieniunianninniangningnunuonuannunnüe
llalolelaileilaoloulanlanglenglonglilialiaolieliulianlinlianglingluluoluanlunlüe
zzazezizaizeizaozouzanzenzangzengzongzuzuozuizuanzun
ccacecicaiceicaocoucancencangcengcongcucuocuicuancun
ssasesisaisaosousansensangsengsongsusuosuisuansun
zhzhazhezhizhaizheizhaozhouzhanzhenzhangzhengzhongzhuzhuazhuozhuaizhuizhuanzhunzhuang
chchachechichaichaochouchanchenchangchengchongchuchuachuochuaichuichuanchunchuang
shshasheshishaisheishaoshoushanshenshangshengshushuashuoshuaishuishuanshunshuang
rreriraorouranrenrangrengrongruruaruoruiruanrun
jjijiajiaojiejiujianjinjiangjingjiongjujuejuanjun
qqiqiaqiaoqieqiuqianqinqiangqingqiongququequanqun
xxixiaxiaoxiexiuxianxinxiangxingxiongxuxuexuanxun
ggagegaigeigaogougangenganggenggongguguaguoguaiguiguangunguang
kkakekaikeikaokoukankenkangkengkongkukuakuokuaikuikuankunkuang
hhahehaiheihaohouhanhenhanghenghonghuhuahuohuaihuihuanhunhuang

Missing syllables: yo, yai, hng, hm, n, ng, m, ê

y- and w- initials are pronounced as i and u except with yi, wu and thus can be put under the empty initial row (except yo as there is no io).

-i indicates different pronuciation for zi, zhi and others in contrast to yi, ti....

e is put under two columns, as 俄 is pronounced [ɤ] but 欸 is pronounced [ɛ] which is an exception. ê is left out as it serves the same purpose as e in this context: to mark the irregular pronuncitation as [ɤ].

Forms like yu, qu and others should actually be written yü, qü as to follow the design for nü, lü but as u is written wu and there is no [tɕʰu] the diaresis are ommited.

Transposed table following Pinyin.info

bpmfdtnlgkhzcszhchshrjqx
abapamafadatanalagakahazacasazhachashaa
obopomofoloo
emefedetenelegekehezecesezhechesheree
aibaipaimaidaitainailaigaikaihaizaicaisaizhaichaishaiai
eibeipeimeifeideineileigeikeiheizeiceizheisheiei
aobaopaomaodaotaonaolaogaokaohaozaocaosaozhaochaoshaoraoao
oupoumoufoudoutounoulougoukouhouzoucousouzhouchoushourouou
anbanpanmanfandantannanlangankanhanzancansanzhanchanshanranan
angbangpangmangfangdangtangnanglanggangkanghangzangcangsangzhangchangshangrangang
enbenpenmenfendennengenkenhenzencensenzhenchenshenrenen
engbengpengmengfengdengtengnenglenggengkenghengzengcengsengzhengchengshengrengeng
ongdongtongnonglonggongkonghongzongcongsongzhongchongrong
ubupumufudutunulugukuhuzucusuzhuchushuruwu
uaguakuahuazhuachuashuaruawa
uoduotuonuoluoguokuohuozuocuosuozhuochuoshuoruowo
uaiguaikuaihuaizhuaichuaishuaiwai
uiduituiguikuihuizuicuisuizhuichuishuiruiwei
uanduantuannuanluanguankuanhuanzuancuansuanzhuanchuanshuanruanwan
uangguangkuanghuangzhuangchuangshuangwang
unduntunnunlungunkunhunzuncunsunzhunchunshunrunwen
uengweng
ibipimiditinilizicisizhichishirijiqixiyi
iadialiajiaqiaxiaya
iebiepiemiedietienieliejieqiexieye
iaobiaopiaomiaodiaotiaoniaoliaojiaoqiaoxiaoyao
iumiudiuniuliujiuqiuxiuyou
ianbianpianmiandiantiannianlianjianqianxianyan
inbinpinminninlinjinqinxinyin
ingbingpingmingdingtingninglingjingqingxingying
iangniangliangjiangqiangxiangyang
iongjiongqiongxiongyong
üjuquxuyu
üenüelüejuequexueyue
üanjuanquanxuanyuan
ünjunqunxunyun

Missing syllables: yo, yai, er, hng, hm, n, ng, m, ê

Compare this table to http://www.pinyin.info/rules/initials_finals.html where there is also a short explanation on different (re-)groupings.

Extended table including all syllables

bpmfdtnlzcszhchshrjqxgkh
aabapamafadatanalazacasazhachashagakaha
oobopomofolo
eemefedetenelezecesezhechesheregekehe
êê
ɿzicisi
ʅzhichishiri
erer
aiaibaipaimaidaitainailaizaicaisaizhaichaishaigaikaihai
eieibeipeimeifeideineileizeiceizheisheigeikeihei
aoaobaopaomaodaotaonaolaozaocaosaozhaochaoshaoraogaokaohao
ououpoumoufoudoutounoulouzoucousouzhouchoushourougoukouhou
ananbanpanmanfandantannanlanzancansanzhanchanshanrangankanhan
enenbenpenmenfendennenzencensenzhenchenshenrengenkenhen
angangbangpangmangfangdangtangnanglangzangcangsangzhangchangshangranggangkanghang
engengbengpengmengfengdengtengnenglengzengcengsengzhengchengshengrenggengkengheng
ongdongtongnonglongzongcongsongzhongchongronggongkonghong
iyibipimiditinilijiqixi
iayadialiajiaqiaxia
iaoyaobiaopiaomiaodiaotiaoniaoliaojiaoqiaoxiao
ieyebiepiemiedietienieliejieqiexie
iouyoumiudiuniuliujiuqiuxiu
iaiyai
ianyanbianpianmiandiantiannianlianjianqianxian
inyinbinpinminninlinjinqinxin
iangyangniangliangjiangqiangxiang
ingyingbingpingmingdingtingninglingjingqingxing
ioyo
iongyongjiongqiongxiong
uwubupumufudutunuluzucusuzhuchushurugukuhu
uawazhuachuashuaruaguakuahua
uowoduotuonuoluozuocuosuozhuochuoshuoruoguokuohuo
uaiwaizhuaichuaishuaiguaikuaihuai
ueiweiduituizuicuisuizhuichuishuiruiguikuihui
uanwanduantuannuanluanzuancuansuanzhuanchuanshuanruanguankuanhuan
uenwenduntunnunlunzuncunsunzhunchunshunrungunkunhun
uangwangzhuangchuangshuangguangkuanghuang
uengweng
üyujuquxu
üeyuenüelüejuequexue
üanyuanjuanquanxuan
ünyunjunqunxun
mmhm
nn
ngnghng

This table includes all syllables and furthermore distinguishes between the different pronunciations of '-i' in zhi and zi. The finals iu, ui, un are shown as iou, uei, uen as to emphasise their pronunciation and the fact, that the forms with prepended y- and w- actually belong to this class.

Mandarin Morpheme Analysis

I am not a linguist, but I wouldn’t generally analyse the (graphical) w- and y- initials as part of the (phonetic) finals. Just as you treat the [u] in “bo” as part of the initial b-, the y-/w- could be leftovers of formerly pronounced consonants. Arbitrarily splitting between the [’] glottal plosive and the voiced [i]/[o]/[u] doesn’t make sense to me and strikes me as counterintuitive. I would even group the d-/t-/n-/l-… and di-/ti-/ni-/li-… and du-/tu-/nu-/lu-… initials separately. This would give you a more complex set of initials (to be further analysed) but therefore a more straight-forward set of finals of -ǝ/-ǝn/-ǝng (which, of course can be modified by a middle vowel).