Writing Chinese with Tolkien's Elvish script
Do I have it right that the pinyin c is pronounced like the German z, roughly as the “ts” at the start of “tsunami”?
The closest English handle to the pinyin c is the "t's h" in "it's hot" or "cat's hungry" — the [ts] followed immediately by an audible exhale. If you can feel a candle flicker when you say it, you've got c; if the flame holds steady, you've said z.
That’s useful to know. Thanks. I learned about that distinction years ago when I studied Sanskrit briefly, so it’s not unfamiliar.
Do I have it right that the pinyin c is pronounced like the German z, roughly as the “ts” at the start of “tsunami”?
The closest English handle to the pinyin c is the "t's h" in "it's hot" or "cat's hungry" — the [ts] followed immediately by an audible exhale. If you can feel a candle flicker when you say it, you've got c; if the flame holds steady, you've said z.
That’s useful to know. Thanks. I learned about that distinction years ago when I studied Sanskrit briefly, so it’s not unfamiliar.