<p>There seem to be 2 ways to describe the ü sound. One is the one Alenanno describes, and for example also <a href="http://chinesepod.com/tools/pronunciation/section/15" rel="nofollow">mentioned on ChinesePod</a></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>To make the basic ü sound, make a continuous "ee" sound. As you make
  the sound, round your lips into the position they would need to be in
  to make an "oo" sound. By making the "ee" sound in your mouth with
  your lips in the "oo" position, you are pronouncing Mandarin's ü
  sound.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The other one is described in <a href="http://books.google.be/books?id=_YnFyi-_HYQC&amp;pg=PR13&amp;dq=chinese%20pronunciation%20u%20%C3%BC%20mouth%20position&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ei=F06ST4qNEuKQ0AXT9-nyAQ&amp;sqi=2&amp;redir_esc=y#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false" rel="nofollow">this book</a>.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Place your tongue tip so that it touches the back of the lower front teeth. At the same time, stretch the corners of the mount towards two sides. Then draw your lips in to form a perfect circle as small as possible.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I don't agree with Alenanno about the position of the tongue. For example this <a href="http://books.google.be/books?id=_YnFyi-_HYQC&amp;pg=PR13&amp;dq=chinese%20pronunciation%20u%20%C3%BC%20mouth%20position&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ei=F06ST4qNEuKQ0AXT9-nyAQ&amp;sqi=2&amp;redir_esc=y#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false" rel="nofollow">book</a> says that ü should be at the lower front teeth, not the upper front teeth as shown in the picture in Alenanno's post.
Also the tongue positions in Chinese are in most cases more determined by the initials than not the finals. For example yu, qu, xu, ju have a ü proncounciation, but are both at the lower teeth. cu, su, zu have a u pronounciation, but are at upper teeth, not where it is positioned in the drawing in Alenanno's post.</p>

<p>In my mother tongue we also have the ü sound, and I can make it for any position of the tip of my tongue. The tip of the tongue is not important, what is important is that the shape of your tongue and lips are correct.</p>

<p>u on the other hand is pronounced as the oo in the English word too.</p>

<p>Liu is a short version for liou. So you start with pronouncing li and continue with ou (de ou of 朋友).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-21T14:01:37.547Z
I changed my image. It was inaccurate. Maybe you should change the reference in your answer to "my drawing". :)
Alenanno
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-21T07:45:43.913Z
2012-04-21T12:54:07.673Z
2012-04-21T12:54:07.673Z
BertR
<p>I would start by pronouncing lu4, with a regular u. This has your tongue touching the front of the palate, just behind your front teeth.</p>

<p>Now pull back the tongue as far as you can, so that it touches the BACK of the palate. Your lips should become progressively rounder as you do so. This produces the  lü4 sound.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-24T14:45:11.337Z
2012-04-24T14:45:11.337Z
Tom Au
<p>I found something.</p>

<p>Instead of all the ee-oo stuff. I just started spouting words, until we noticed that the vowel syllable in Jew is the same exact sound.</p>

<p>So now I just say Jew, but with an L instead. It works.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-23T15:33:57.067Z
Uhm, it's not quite the same thing. The IPA is [dʒuː] for **Jew** and [ly˥˩] for **lü4**. It's not the same sound.
Alenanno
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-25T19:19:37.470Z
There is simply no equivelant vowel in English.
deutschZuid
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-31T15:44:09.073Z
IPA doesn't account for transition in mouth movements, only *current position* and resulting sound. If you try to pronounce Jew but with an L, you'll find the "ew" part doesn't sound the same....
Lee Louviere
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-31T22:05:56.480Z
This is because at the end of the L sound you're mouth is in a circle shape.
Lee Louviere
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-23T13:27:31.333Z
2012-04-23T13:27:31.333Z
Lee Louviere
<p>Try this for pronouncing Mandarin's ü sound</p>

<p>1) Start from the sound of 一 (number one) or 衣 (clothing/clothes) in Chinese correctly. </p>

<p>Note: this Chinese sound is different from English "ee" as in Tee (letter T). For pronouncing this Chinese sound （一）, you need to press tongue tip firmly against the lower incisors, and you also need to tense up the muscle under jaw (Digastric M. Anterior Belly) a little bit. Then produce the "ee" sound in English.</p>

<p>2) Keep pronouncing the 一 sound, round your lips to make a circle as small and tight as possible, as what you would need to do for whistling. Then you will get the Mandarin's ü sound.</p>

<p>When you can pronounce the ü sound correctly, you can add consonant l in front of ü. The l sound in Chinese is same as in "late" in English. Then you put the 4th tone on the syllable to make the sound of 绿 (lü4).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-03-11T22:46:26.503Z
2013-03-11T22:46:26.503Z
孤影萍踪
<p>I used the have the exact same problem, and the solution couldn't have been more simple (worked for me anyways!):</p>

<p><strong>Start to whistle. Just before you actually make a sound, freeze the position of your mouth. Now say lü.</strong></p>

<p>Perfect pronunciation :)</p>

<p>I recognize this won't work for everyone, but I literally tried for <em>months</em> to get this sound right and this single-handedly did it for me.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-22T21:06:58.023Z
There are many ways to whistle, and they mean different tongue and jaw position; I'm not sure this is the most reliable way.
Alenanno
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-22T19:47:03.380Z
2012-04-22T19:47:03.380Z
monkbent
<p>You can hear pronunciation examples on MDBG (<a href="http://www.mdbg.net/chindict/chindict.php?page=worddict&amp;wdrst=0&amp;wdqb=lv4" rel="nofollow">See here for lv4</a>).</p>

<p>I suggest a repetition drill to practice and reinforce the pronunciation, <a href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/24369006/lv4%20vs%20lu4.mp3" rel="nofollow">I have made one</a> contrasting lu4 and lu4. (Note that I just downloaded the first couple of clips I could so there are probably better pronunciation examples - It is adequate but this is more to demonstrate the drill). The drill pronounces the syllable three times with a pause for you to say it once. Then once with a pause, then once with a pause again (I.e. it is a 3-1, 1-1, 1-1 drill) </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-25T13:16:09.387Z
2013-02-25T13:16:09.387Z
jsj
<p>Get you mouth in the shape as if you were whistling and attempt to pronounce loo and you will get it.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-19T01:14:01.987Z
2012-05-19T01:14:01.987Z
Spook
<p>Try to prounce <code>re [ri:]</code> as in reboot, the result would be approximate lü1, then just make it lü4.</p>

<p>Drop a comment if anyone think this is a bad idea so we can improve.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-22T05:27:40.840Z
These sound *nothing* alike to me.
Alf
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-22T05:49:29.110Z
@Jon I changed it to `[ri:]`, that's the best similar pronounce I can think of (or maybe I'm a native speaker I can read it correctly no matter how). Hope it worked. (Btw, down votes doesn't matter no matter who gives.)
Mengdi Gao
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-22T02:19:21.947Z
2012-04-22T05:38:51.760Z
2012-04-22T05:38:51.760Z
Mengdi Gao
<p>The sound represented by the ü sound in Chinese is the same as the German ü; this sound is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Close_front_rounded_vowel" rel="nofollow noreferrer">close front rounded vowel</a>, the IPA is [y]; you can hear a sample in the link.</p>

<p>As you see in the table below in that wikipedia article, which lists the languages that possess this sound, we see both Mandarin (which uses green as the example) and German. So the sound is the same.</p>

<p>The best way to teach this is:</p>

<ol>
<li>Pronounce an "ee" sound, in English, like for "feel".</li>
<li>Keep pronouncing the sound, but start rounding your lips as if you had to pronounce a "oo" sound, which is <code>[u]</code>, a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Close_back_rounded_vowel" rel="nofollow noreferrer">close back rounded vowel</a>.</li>
<li>The final sound you should get is the one of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Close_front_rounded_vowel" rel="nofollow noreferrer">close front rounded vowel</a>, also written as <code>[y]</code>.</li>
</ol>

<p>Basically, you have the <strong>same lips position</strong> for <strong>U</strong> and <strong>Ü</strong>, but a <strong>different tongue position</strong>, the one for the [i] sound.</p>

<p>Look at the image below. The tongue position is different in <strong>[i]</strong> (upper-left) and <strong>[u]</strong> (upper-right).</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/cQpLA.jpg" alt="tongue position"> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vowel" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Source</a>)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-20T20:29:48.117Z
I tried the L-ee-oo thing, and it's still not right. L'ee'-'oo'.
Lee Louviere
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-20T20:46:37.323Z
Wait, The "liu" is not pronounced the same way. That is like "lee-ow" with the stress on "ow". Check [my answer](http://chinese.stackexchange.com/a/994/43) to that question. :)
Alenanno
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-14T11:21:26.377Z
This sound took a very long time for me to master - I guess my wife would say I still haven't really mastered it. My best English approximation would be the "Eww" sound.
Michael Robinson
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-14T11:23:16.950Z
@MichaelRobinson It depends on how many languages you can speak. If you know French or German, it won't be hard! :)
Alenanno
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-05-14T11:41:40.143Z
I knew only English
Michael Robinson
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-25T02:22:00.343Z
Just in case you weren't aware: The vowel phonemes in "book" (ʊ) and "fool" (u) are different, and in English many pronounce ʊ without much rounding.
dainichi
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-25T09:49:51.737Z
@dainichi Yes I knew, I just meant a general sound in this case. But I'll replace it with IPA to be sure. Thanks for letting me know.
Alenanno
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-04-20T18:44:40.830Z
2013-02-25T09:53:59.147Z
2013-02-25T09:53:59.147Z
Alenanno
<p>My wife gave up trying to correct me on how to pronounce green.</p>

<p>I find it very hard to get a distinct sound from the word for 绿 (lü4 - green), Lu, and, Liu (as in Liu Bei). Obviously, Lu is exactly how it reads in English, but the other two are hard to get right with the tongue.</p>

<p>How can I pronounce this sound?</p>

<pronunciation>
How can I pronounce 绿 (lü4 - green)?
# How can I pronounce 绿 (lü4 - green)?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-04-20)

My wife gave up trying to correct me on how to pronounce green.

I find it very hard to get a distinct sound from the word for 绿 (lü4 - green), Lu, and, Liu (as in Liu Bei). Obviously, Lu is exactly how it reads in English, but the other two are hard to get right with the tongue.

How can I pronounce this sound?

**Tags:** pronunciation


---

## 9 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2012-04-20. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

The sound represented by the ü sound in Chinese is the same as the German ü; this sound is a [close front rounded vowel](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Close_front_rounded_vowel), the IPA is [y]; you can hear a sample in the link.

As you see in the table below in that wikipedia article, which lists the languages that possess this sound, we see both Mandarin (which uses green as the example) and German. So the sound is the same.

The best way to teach this is:

1. Pronounce an "ee" sound, in English, like for "feel".
2. Keep pronouncing the sound, but start rounding your lips as if you had to pronounce a "oo" sound, which is `[u]`, a [close back rounded vowel](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Close_back_rounded_vowel).
3. The final sound you should get is the one of a [close front rounded vowel](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Close_front_rounded_vowel), also written as `[y]`.

Basically, you have the **same lips position** for **U** and **Ü**, but a **different tongue position**, the one for the [i] sound.

Look at the image below. The tongue position is different in **[i]** (upper-left) and **[u]** (upper-right).

![tongue position](https://i.sstatic.net/cQpLA.jpg) ([Source](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vowel))

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: I tried the L-ee-oo thing, and it's still not right. L'ee'-'oo'.  
> **username_2**: Wait, The "liu" is not pronounced the same way. That is like "lee-ow" with the stress on "ow". Check [my answer](http://chinese.stackexchange.com/a/994/43) to that question. :)  
> **username_11**: This sound took a very long time for me to master - I guess my wife would say I still haven't really mastered it. My best English approximation would be the "Eww" sound.  
> **username_2**: @MichaelRobinson It depends on how many languages you can speak. If you know French or German, it won't be hard! :)  
> **username_11**: I knew only English  
> **username_12**: Just in case you weren't aware: The vowel phonemes in "book" (ʊ) and "fool" (u) are different, and in English many pronounce ʊ without much rounding.  
> **username_2**: @username_12 Yes I knew, I just meant a general sound in this case. But I'll replace it with IPA to be sure. Thanks for letting me know.  

---

### Answer by username_1 on 2012-04-21. Score: 1

There seem to be 2 ways to describe the ü sound. One is the one username_2 describes, and for example also [mentioned on ChinesePod](http://chinesepod.com/tools/pronunciation/section/15)

> To make the basic ü sound, make a continuous "ee" sound. As you make
> the sound, round your lips into the position they would need to be in
> to make an "oo" sound. By making the "ee" sound in your mouth with
> your lips in the "oo" position, you are pronouncing Mandarin's ü
> sound.

The other one is described in [this book](http://books.google.be/books?id=_YnFyi-_HYQC&pg=PR13&dq=chinese%20pronunciation%20u%20%C3%BC%20mouth%20position&hl=en&sa=X&ei=F06ST4qNEuKQ0AXT9-nyAQ&sqi=2&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false).

> Place your tongue tip so that it touches the back of the lower front teeth. At the same time, stretch the corners of the mount towards two sides. Then draw your lips in to form a perfect circle as small as possible.

I don't agree with username_2 about the position of the tongue. For example this [book](http://books.google.be/books?id=_YnFyi-_HYQC&pg=PR13&dq=chinese%20pronunciation%20u%20%C3%BC%20mouth%20position&hl=en&sa=X&ei=F06ST4qNEuKQ0AXT9-nyAQ&sqi=2&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false) says that ü should be at the lower front teeth, not the upper front teeth as shown in the picture in username_2's post.
Also the tongue positions in Chinese are in most cases more determined by the initials than not the finals. For example yu, qu, xu, ju have a ü proncounciation, but are both at the lower teeth. cu, su, zu have a u pronounciation, but are at upper teeth, not where it is positioned in the drawing in username_2's post.

In my mother tongue we also have the ü sound, and I can make it for any position of the tip of my tongue. The tip of the tongue is not important, what is important is that the shape of your tongue and lips are correct.

u on the other hand is pronounced as the oo in the English word too.

Liu is a short version for liou. So you start with pronouncing li and continue with ou (de ou of 朋友).

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: I changed my image. It was inaccurate. Maybe you should change the reference in your answer to "my drawing". :)  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2012-04-24. Score: 0

I would start by pronouncing lu4, with a regular u. This has your tongue touching the front of the palate, just behind your front teeth.

Now pull back the tongue as far as you can, so that it touches the BACK of the palate. Your lips should become progressively rounder as you do so. This produces the lü4 sound.


---

### Answer by username_0 on 2012-04-23. Score: 0

I found something.

Instead of all the ee-oo stuff. I just started spouting words, until we noticed that the vowel syllable in Jew is the same exact sound.

So now I just say Jew, but with an L instead. It works.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Uhm, it's not quite the same thing. The IPA is [dʒuː] for **Jew** and [ly˥˩] for **lü4**. It's not the same sound.  
> **username_4**: There is simply no equivelant vowel in English.  
> **username_0**: IPA doesn't account for transition in mouth movements, only *current position* and resulting sound. If you try to pronounce Jew but with an L, you'll find the "ew" part doesn't sound the same....  
> **username_0**: This is because at the end of the L sound you're mouth is in a circle shape.  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2013-03-11. Score: 0

Try this for pronouncing Mandarin's ü sound

1) Start from the sound of 一 (number one) or 衣 (clothing/clothes) in Chinese correctly.

Note: this Chinese sound is different from English "ee" as in Tee (letter T). For pronouncing this Chinese sound （一）, you need to press tongue tip firmly against the lower incisors, and you also need to tense up the muscle under jaw (Digastric M. Anterior Belly) a little bit. Then produce the "ee" sound in English.

2) Keep pronouncing the 一 sound, round your lips to make a circle as small and tight as possible, as what you would need to do for whistling. Then you will get the Mandarin's ü sound.

When you can pronounce the ü sound correctly, you can add consonant l in front of ü. The l sound in Chinese is same as in "late" in English. Then you put the 4th tone on the syllable to make the sound of 绿 (lü4).


---

### Answer by username_6 on 2012-04-22. Score: 0

I used the have the exact same problem, and the solution couldn't have been more simple (worked for me anyways!):

**Start to whistle. Just before you actually make a sound, freeze the position of your mouth. Now say lü.**

Perfect pronunciation :)

I recognize this won't work for everyone, but I literally tried for *months* to get this sound right and this single-handedly did it for me.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: There are many ways to whistle, and they mean different tongue and jaw position; I'm not sure this is the most reliable way.  

---

### Answer by username_7 on 2013-02-25. Score: 0

You can hear pronunciation examples on MDBG ([See here for lv4](http://www.mdbg.net/chindict/chindict.php?page=worddict&wdrst=0&wdqb=lv4)).

I suggest a repetition drill to practice and reinforce the pronunciation, [I have made one](http://dl.dropbox.com/u/24369006/lv4%20vs%20lu4.mp3) contrasting lu4 and lu4. (Note that I just downloaded the first couple of clips I could so there are probably better pronunciation examples - It is adequate but this is more to demonstrate the drill). The drill pronounces the syllable three times with a pause for you to say it once. Then once with a pause, then once with a pause again (I.e. it is a 3-1, 1-1, 1-1 drill)


---

### Answer by username_8 on 2012-05-19. Score: 0

Get you mouth in the shape as if you were whistling and attempt to pronounce loo and you will get it.


---

### Answer by username_9 on 2012-04-22. Score: -2

Try to prounce `re [ri:]` as in reboot, the result would be approximate lü1, then just make it lü4.

Drop a comment if anyone think this is a bad idea so we can improve.

> **Comments:**
> **username_10**: These sound *nothing* alike to me.  
> **username_9**: @Jon I changed it to `[ri:]`, that's the best similar pronounce I can think of (or maybe I'm a native speaker I can read it correctly no matter how). Hope it worked. (Btw, down votes doesn't matter no matter who gives.)  

---

