This set of Cantonese initials are pronounced like the Putonghua set.
1. The Cantonese /d-/ & Putonghua [d] are both voiceless (that is, different from the voiced ‘d’ of English).
For example:
| 咑 | 得 | 檔 | 秩 |
|---|---|---|---|
| daa1 | dak1 | dong3 | dit6 |
2. The Cantonese /t-/ & Putonghua [t] are the same, which is more or less like the ‘t’ of English.
For example:
| 他 | 台 | 肚 | 睇 |
|---|---|---|---|
| taa1 | toi4 | tou5 | tai2 |
For English speakers, note that the difference between /d-/ and /t-/ is, again, one of aspiration. For example, the ‘t’ in ‘tar’ is clearly aspirated; whereas the ‘t’ in ‘star’ is not. Cantonese /d-/ is identical to the English unaspirated ‘t’.
3. The Cantonese /n-/ & Putonghua [n] are the same，as is the ‘n’ of English.
For example:
| 拿 | 年 | 那 | 餌 |
|---|---|---|---|
| naa4 | nin4 | na5 | nei6 |
4. The Cantonese /l-/ & Putonghua [l] are the same, which is more or less like the ‘l’ of English.
For example:
| 啦 | 了 | 纜 | 甩 |
|---|---|---|---|
| laa1 | liu5 | laam6 | lat1 |
Cantonese speakers of younger generations often pronounce /n-/ like /l-/. For more, see ‘Language Change in Cantonese – /n-/ Pronounced Like /l-/’.
As to aspiration, see ‘Cantonese Characteristics - Aspiration’.