Grammar 文法 Man4 faat3̌
二. Pronunciation 拼音 Ping1 yam1
Cantonese finals 2 (aam – am)

Pronunciation hints:

1. Both “-aam” and “-am” have a nasal ending “m”, which is pronounced with both lips closed, releasing the air from the nose.
2. Cantonese “aa” on “-aam” is a long vowel. Its sound is similar to “-a” as in English calm. However, “a” in “-am” is a short vowel which resembles English come.
3. To differentiate “-aam” from “-am”, “-aam” should be pronounced with your jaw more lowered and mouth more open than “-am”.

Note: In Cantonese, some syllables may end with “-p”, “-t”, or “-k”. These are called unreleased stops because your
mouth and tongue form a closure in preparation for these sounds, finishing without releasing the air at the end of a syllable. In other words, they are made mute in the production of the sound.