闽南语/发音
< 闽南语
闽南语的音节数量远少于英语。音节也容易用声母和韵母的概念来描述。一个音节以一个辅音开头。这被称为声母。音节的其余部分被称为韵母。一个韵母可以有一个单一的元音或一个双元音（两个元音从一个滑到另一个）和一个可选的最终辅音（p、t、k、h、m、n或ng）。此外，闽南语的韵母可以鼻化。
下面的发音指南基于美式英语，除非另有说明。并非所有发音都能用英语单词来描述，有些发音只是近似值。请务必听实际的说话者，以确保你的发音正确。
| 白话字 | 发音 | IPA |
| b | b in "ball" | b |
| p | p as in "spat" | p |
| ph | p as in "pat" | pʰ |
| m | m as in "mom" | m |
| t | t in "stop" | t |
| th | t as in "top" | tʰ |
| n | n as in "not" | n |
| l | l as in "lap" | l |
| g | g in "good" | g |
| k | k as in "skit" | k |
| kh | k as in "kite" | kʰ |
| ng | ng as in "singer" | ŋ |
| h | h as in "hot" | h |
| j | Blend of the ds in "beds" and the j in "jam" | dz |
| ts | ts in "cats" | ts |
| tsh | Blend of the ts in "cats" and the ch in "church" | tsʰ |
| s | s as in "sun" | s |
- 辅音j在许多说话者中，特别是在泉州，自20世纪初以来就与l合并。虽然在罗马化方案中仍然经常写出来。
- 三组g、k、kh和b、p、ph，以及j、ch、chh（浊不送气、清不送气、清送气）在语言中很少见，需要练习才能正确区分。
- 当后面跟着i时，即ji、chi、chhi、si，辅音j、ch、chh、s，采用IPA值：[dʑ]、[tɕ]、[tɕʰ]、[ɕ]。英语中没有真正的等价词，但[tɕ]、[tɕʰ]对应于普通话的j、q。
- b和g略微鼻化，反映了它们从古汉语/中古汉语的m和ng发展而来。
| 白话字 | 发音 | IPA |
| a | a as in "spa" | a |
| ap | op as in "top" | ap |
| at | ot as in "pot" | at̚ |
| ak | ock as in "sock" | ak̚ |
| ah | First a as in "aha" | aʔ |
| ann | a as in "spa" | ã |
| am | am as in "Vietnam" | am |
| an | on as in "con" | an |
| ang | ong as in "tongs" | aŋ |
| ai | igh as in "sigh" | ai |
| e | e as in "bet" | |
| ei | ay as in "say" | |
| em | em as in "temple" | |
| eng | ang as in "angry" | |
| ek | eck as in "peck" | |
| i | ee as in "tee" | |
| iu | ew as in "few" | |
| im | eem as in "seem" | |
| in | een as in "seen" | |
| ing | ing as in "sing" | |
| ip | eep as in "sleep" | |
| it | eet as in "meet" | |
| ik | ick as in "sick" | |
| o | or as in "or" (British English) | |
| oi | oy as in "boy" | |
| ou | o as in "no" | |
| on | on as in "con" (British English) | |
| ong | ong as in "song" | |
| ot | ot as in "hot" (British English) | |
| ok | ock as in "sock | |
| u | oo as in "too" | |
| ui | ooey as in "gooey" | |
| un | oon as in "soon" | |
| ung | combination of ou and ng | |
| ut | oot as in "boot" | |
| uk | ook as in "took" | |
| eu | er as in "her" (British English, with rounded lips) | |
| eung | combination of eu and ng | |
| euk | ork as in "work" (British English) | |
| eui | eui as in "deuil" (French) | |
| eun | ine as in "engine" | |
| eut | ut as in "put" | |
| yu | u as in "tu" (French) | |
| yun | un as in "union" | |
| yut | Ut as in "Utah" | |
| m | mm as in "hmm" | |
| ng | ng as in "sing" |
- 最终辅音p、t和k是不送气的。这意味着它们实际上是静音的，你听不到音节末尾的“气流”。举一个具体的例子，说出“cup”这个词，并且在词语结尾时不要张开嘴唇。注意在结尾时没有“气流”。当k音用于为最终的语气词增加活力时，它也会从被称为软颚塞音转变为声门塞音。最终辅音k有时会在快速说话时消失，就像m4 sai2 haa[k]3 hei3这个表达一样。
- aa音是低后元音，其长度略长，音质与a音不同。请务必注意这些音的差异，因为混淆这两个音将改变单词的含义。
- ing、it和ik中的元音音质与in、im或i不同。这与英语单词“sin”和“seen”之间的区别是一样的（或者在语法学校的术语中，是“短”元音与“长”元音）。虽然这种差异没有上面的差异那么重要，因为它不对比单词的含义，但如果你不掌握这两个音，你的“外国口音”会更明显。
- yu音在英语中不存在，但并不难发。从说出长i开始，就像在“see”中一样，并且--不改变任何其他东西！--撅起你的嘴唇。这是一个常见的法语发音，所以如果你必须的话，就“用法语思维”。
- eu音在英语中也不存在，但像yu一样，它只是嘴唇的圆润。从说出“bet”中的e音开始，并且--不改变任何其他东西！--撅起你的嘴唇。
- eui音只是eu和i（“eu-ee”）融合成一个音节。
- o音在美式英语中不存在，但在英式英语中存在。它是你在英国人说出“more”或“scorn”时听到的后圆元音。如果你仔细听一个英国说话者，你会注意到他们在这些词中不发“r”音。正是“o”元音的音质使它们对美式英语的耳朵来说是独特的。
- 最终的eung有一个微弱的英国r音叠加在元音上，所以数字二的读音有点像“leurng”。要小心--用美式英语r发这个音是一个常见的错误，听起来非常外国。
- 只有m和ng韵母可以用作独立的鼻音音节。
- 位于鼻音最终辅音之前的元音不鼻化，而位于鼻音辅音之后的元音则鼻化。你可以在发音一些音节，比如sin1或ngo5时，捏住你的鼻子来测试你的发音。这并不是完全必要，但这样做会减少任何明显的外国口音。